After the Reapers
by SpectreKnight
Summary: A series of short stories following Garrus and Shepard's relationship throughout the games and beyond. Garrus/FemShep. Cover Image by Northwolf89. (Latest Update; Pt 3 of Chapter 13 & Chapter 15)
1. Chapter 1

**Series Title:** After the Reapers  
**Pairing: **Garrus/Shepard

**Author:** Knights-Honour  
**Disclaimer:** Mass Effect universe © BioWare  
Any character you haven't heard of © me

**Author's Notes:**  
I've recently become enamoured with the Mass Effect 'verse, thanks to a beautiful piece of Garrus/FemShep art here on DA: _Mass Effect - After the Reaper_ by *ghostfire, and while I haven't actually played the games yet, I did do some research and fell in love with Garrus and Shepard's story and decided to try my hand at writing the 'ship.

Now, my vision for this is that it's going to be a series of short stories about Shepard and Garrus' relationship, so they won't always be in chronological order. I'll let you know in the ANs just where about it fits in the ME timeline and if the story in question is companionable with any of the others. 

Thanks go to my Beta; Blueglaceon, who despite having little knowledge of the Mass Effect universe, agreed to edit the series anyway. Thanks, Blue!

Also, the Turians physical appearance in my stories will be based on ghostfire's concept drawings: _ME Nude Turian Concepts._

So, first cab of the rank is Happiness, a series of moments between Shepard and Garrus during Lair of the Shadow Broker.

**Happiness**

"I'll see you at lunch?" Kathryn Shepard murmured to Garrus, standing up on her tip toes to peck him on the muzzle as the elevator came to a stop at the CIC.

"Mmmhmmm..." the Turian murmured in reply as his arms encircled her waist, pulling her closer to him, not willing to lose contact with her just yet.

"Garrus," she drew out his name in a warning tone of voice.

"Okay, okay." he reluctantly let go of his mate and stepped back. "See you at lunch." Shepard smiled warmly up at him before she left the elevator and he continued his journey down to the third deck.

"Morning, Kelly," Shepard greeted the young Yeoman when she drew level with her.

"Good morning, Commander. You've received a new message at your private terminal," Kelly advised her commanding officer.

"Anything else I should know?"

"Nothing right now. Anything else, Commander?"

"That'll be all."

Kelly nodded her head and turned back to her computer as Shepard headed to her own console. Accessing her e-mails, she opened the new message:

_To: Shepard  
From: Cerberus Information Processing_

We're aware that your old friend Liara T'Soni has been hunting for the Shadow Broker for several years. We wouldn't mind helping her in that hunt, given the Broker's past work for the Collectors. We recently uncovered some information that might give Liara a lead on where to find the Shadow Broker's base of operations, but unfortunately, she doesn't have much faith in Cerberus intel.

If you'd visit Illium and pass it on to her as a gesture of goodwill, we'd appreciate it.

Intel on the Shadow Broker? Liara would want to see this ASAP!

"Is something wrong, Commander?" Kelly queried.

Shepard looked up from her computer. "There's been a change of plans," she told the young yeoman as she logged out. "Can you tell Garrus and Grunt to be on standby, please? I want to get going as soon as we dock."

"Certainly, Commander. But where are we going?"

"Illium," Shepard called back over her shoulder as she strode through the CIC towards the cockpit to alert Joker of what was happening.

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

"Speaking of which: did you find your friend's body?" Vasir queried slyly.

"You mean **this** body?" Liara stepped from behind the group, gun drawn at the Asari Spectre.

"Liara!" Shepard put herself between the two asari. "Something I should know?"

"This is the woman that tried to kill me," Liara informed Shepard, glancing at the human Spectre briefly, as she advanced on Vasir.

"You've had a rough day, so I'll let that slide," Vasir cajoled Liara, taking a few steps back to keep some distance between them. "Why don't you put that gun down?"

"I saw you!" Liara insisted. "I doubled back after I left. I watched you break into my apartment!"

Behind her, Garrus growled, his mandibles flaring in anger, as Shepard narrowed her eyes, realization dawning on her. "You didn't know where Liara went because she hid the message!" she exclaimed as she drew her assault rifle, Garrus and Grunt quickly following suit. "You needed me to find it for you."

"Thanks for the help." Vasir shrugged indifferently.

"Once she had my location, she signalled the Shadow Broker's forces, and bombed the building to take me out," Liara continued. "She found Sekat, took his data, and killed him." Liara glanced at Shepard. "I'm guessing she's still got the disk on her."

"Good guess," Vasir sneered, showing them the disk. "Not that you'll ever see what's on it..." the window behind Vasir shattered and she sent the shards hurtling towards the four with her biotics. "...you pureblood bitch!"

Shepard dropped to her knees, preparing to hunker down from the projectiles as Liara quickly erected a biotic field to protect her teammates. Seeing her attack fail, Vasir took off, and Shepard was hot on her tail, crash-tackling the asari through what was left of the broken window, which sent them both flying over the edge. Still struggling, Vasir utilised her biotics to stop their fall before violently kicking out at Shepard, dislodging her and sending her plummeting.

Garrus watched, after racing to the windowsill with Grunt, as his mate slammed into the ground with a sickening thud. Vasir touched down gracefully behind her and turned back towards Shepard's prone form, her body glowing with her biotics as she advanced towards her fallen foe, ready to finish what she'd started, as above her the Turian growled as he reached for his sniper rifle. If Vasir thought she was going to hurt Shepard while he was around, then she was in for a rude awakening.

But then, a flash of white shot past Garrus and Grunt as Liara leapt from the windowsill in pursuit of Vasir, and the Asari Spectre took off, Shepard forgotten, as soon as Liara touched the ground, racing across the room with Liara hot on her tail. With the danger to Shepard gone, Garrus raced downstairs, Grunt right behind him, to tend to her.

She was just starting to stir when they reached her.

"Shepard?" Garrus queried as he dropped beside her, his voice thick with concern.

With a moan she pushed herself up into a sitting position, swaying a little as she did so.

"Easy," he rumbled as reached out to steady her. "How're you feeling?"

"A little disorientated. Where's Liara?"

"She went after Vasir."

The sound of a door opening caught his attention then, and he snapped his head up as the Broker's army spewed into the room.

"Trouble!" Grunt announced as the young Krogan charged forward to deal with them.

Shepard made a move to follow, but faltered when her head spun.

"Easy," Garrus soothed as he guided her out of harm's way. "Stay down 'till you get your bearings back. Grunt and I can handle this."

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

"The Shadow Broker's agents are still shooting their way through Illium. With luck they won't notice we've left until it's too late."

Shepard furrowed her brow. "That's a little cold. They killed innocent people!"

Liara stopped walking and turned back to face her friend. "You know what I mean."

"Do I?" Shepard took a step closer. "When I hit the ground back at the trade centre, you went after Vasir without a backward look!"

Liara averted her eyes for a moment. "A little fall wasn't going to kill you." The asari turned and walked over to the hotel's balcony. "I had to stay on Vasir. I had to stay rational, make the call, like I did with Sekat. Besides, Garrus was there. He took care of you."

While that was true, it still stung to see just how much Liara had changed in the two years that she'd been gone. She was no longer the shy young woman that had served at her side against Saren and Sovereign. "That's Vasir's fault." Shepard approached the railing as well. "Not yours."

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

"It's good that you brought Archangel, T'Soni. Your friend's bounty is still unclaimed."

Garrus growled at the Broker as he glanced briefly at Shepard before cocking his gun. No way was anyone going to take him from Shepard's side, not now.

"You're not putting a hand on anyone!" Liara refuted.

"It's pointless to challenge me, Asari. I know you're every secret, while you fumble in the dark."

"Is that right?" Liara challenged back. "You're a Yahg, a pre-spaceflight species quarantined to your home-world for massacring the Council's first contact teams. This base is older than your planet's discovery, which means you killed the original Shadow Broker sixty years ago, then took over. I'm guessing you were taken from your world by a trophy hunter who wanted a slave..." Liara paused, letting her words sink in. "...or a pet. How am I doing?"

The horned beast was silent as he stood up and Shepard took a few steps back warily. Then, suddenly, the Shadow Broker slammed his fist into his table, shattering it and then flinging half of it across the room towards them. Shepard dove on Liara, just in the nick of time, pushing them both out of harm's way. But as she looked across the room, she saw that Garrus had not been so lucky. He was unconscious, pinned down by the shattered wood, but before she could rise to go to him, the Shadow Broker charged at them.

With a frustrated sound, Shepard focussed her attention on the Broker, drawing the Collector Particle Beam from its place on her back. Tending to Garrus would have to wait, all that she could do for him now was to keep the furious Yahg away from his prone form.

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

"Liara! Now!"

Using her biotics, Liara smashed the glass above the head of the Broker, and drawn to the shield around his body, the electricity poured down onto the Yahg until it overloaded his system and he exploded, the shockwave knocking the two women over. Liara was quickly back on her feet, and she strode over to give Shepard a hand up. But as what had happened sunk in, the Asari began to pant heavily.

Out of the corner of her eye, Shepard saw Garrus stir. "Garrus!" She quickly strode over to him, pulling the broken table off of him before crouching down by his side. "How're you feeling?"

"Not too bad, considering," he rumbled as he sat up. "Damn, that thing has a nasty temper- Wait." his eyes suddenly widened and began quickly darting around the room trying to locate the Yahg. "Where is he?"

"Dead."

"How?"

Shepard jerked her head back to where Liara was, as she used her omni-tool to give Garrus a once over. The Turian had already been to hell and back again thanks to the mercs on Omega.

"I'm fine, Shepard, honestly I- what's Liara doing?"

Shepard furrowed her brow, turning to locate the Asari as Liara began to talk into the Broker's monitor. "This is the Shadow Broker. The situation is under control. We experienced a power fluctuation while upgrading hardware. It disrupted communications momentarily." Feron burst through the door, pistol drawn, but Liara didn't flinch, continuing to address the Broker's agents. "However, we are now back online. Resume standard procedures. I want a status report on all operations within the next solar day. Shadow Broker out."

Feron limped over to her. "Goddess of oceans... It's you... You... how?"

"Well," Liara turned from the console to look at the Drell. "Everyone who's seen him in person is dead, so..."

"...You're the new Shadow Broker," Feron finished for her as Garrus, now back on his feet, and Shepard approached them.

"Is taking over as the Shadow Broker really a good idea?" Shepard questioned, worry lacing her voice.

"Well, it was either that or lose everything: his contacts, his trading sources. Those will really help us. With the Shadow Broker's information network. I can give you... I can..."

Seeing her friend struggle, Shepard turned to Garrus and Feron. "Could you give us a minute?"

Feron nodded. "I'll check the power systems," he limped away, Garrus hot on his heels.

Shepard watched them go, then turned back to Liara, who had turned away from the human Spectre, her shoulders beginning to shake as tears rolled down her face. Shepard approached her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Liara turned to face her again. "It's over. It's finally... for two years..."

Shepard wrapped the Asari up in a hug. "It's all right."

When they parted, Liara seemed a lot more determined. "With the Shadow Broker's network, I can help you against the Reapers. Maybe I can turn this operation into something better!"

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

Liara was glad that she'd been given the chance to tour the new Normandy. Joker, Chakwas, Tali, all of them had been glad to see her. Now she was in Shepard's quarters, sharing a drink and catching up with her former commander.

"So tell me what you want, Shepard? What are you fighting for? A chance to give Garrus some peace?"

"He's been hurt. Betrayed. He deserves something better." Shepard made her way over to her bed and sat on the edge. "I never thought I'd find peace in the arms of a Turian, but..."

Liara approached her. "Why not? Humans seen to have no trouble finding Asari attractive."

"_Everyone_ finds Asari attractive," Shepard reminded her former squad-mate with a slight smirk.

Liara shook her head with a smile of her own. "I hope the two of you find some happiness." She told her friend sincerely before taking a step back. "I should get back to my base, but thanks for inviting me up."

Shepard rose to her feet and followed the Asari to the door of the loft before the two women embraced in a hug. "You're welcome here at any time." She told the information broker when they parted. "Come back soon."

Liara smiled and nodded her head before turning towards the lift just as it opened and Garrus stepped out.

Shepard immediately went to him. "Hey."

"Hey," he returned whilst pressing his forehead against hers and rested there for a moment.

"What's the report?" she questioned him when he drew back. She'd sent him to the Med-Bay as soon as the Kodiak shuttle had touched down back on the Normandy, to be checked over by Chakwas.

"Nothing serious," Garrus replied. "But Chakwas wants me to take it easy for the next day or so just to be sure."

"Good thing we're headed to the Citadel for shore leave, then."

Liara's chuckle at their interaction drew the couple's attention from each other back to the young Asari.

"Sorry, Liara," Shepard apologised.

"Dr. T'Soni." The Turian nodded his head in greeting.

"Thank you again for you help today with the Shadow Broker, Garrus." Liara stepped forward to hug him.

"Don't know about that, seeing as he knocked me out and all," Garrus rumbled with slight amusement as Liara drew back.

"You helped leading up to the final confrontation," the Asari retorted. "That's what matters. Not to mention looking out for Shepard."

"Yeah, that's always a job and a half," he quipped, and was promptly elbowed in the side by his mate.

"Watch it, Vakarian. Or you'll be sleeping on the sofa tonight."

Garrus snorted, "Like that'd happen. You wouldn't last five minutes without your... what'd you call me last night... hot water bottle?

Shepard shook her head as Liara laughed aloud for a moment before she addressed the mock-bickering couple. "It's been wonderful to see you both, but I really should be getting back."

Shepard stepped forward to hug the Asari again. "Don't make a stranger of yourself, Liara."

"Small chance of that. Take care of her, Garrus."

The Turian nodded his head, and Liara smiled at them once more before turning and entering the elevator. The door closed on the vision of Shepard and Garrus sharing a tender embrace before turning and entering their quarters.

Liara smiled as she revised her earlier statement to Shepard in her mind. The two weren't _looking_ for happiness; they had **found** it.

**Fin.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Notes:**  
Thanks go to my Beta; Blueglaceon, who despite having little knowledge of the Mass Effect universe, agreed to edit the series anyway. Thanks, Blue!

This little one-shot is set at the end of Project Overlord. Though in this case, it's set after the Suicide mission.

**No Regrets**

"Make it stop..." the savant begged.

Shepard headed David's pleas, looking sharply at the scientist beside her. "I've seen enough of your cruelty to know he'll never be free from it here. I'm taking him away." She turned to take a look at the rig, trying to figure out how to go abouts disconnecting the boy from it.

"No! Leave him! He's too valuable!" the first shot rang out and Shepard ducked as Archer fired at her again, missing her as she advanced on him, drawing her own pistol and pistol-whipping him across the face in retaliation. Archer recoiled as his nose began to bleed.

"If you even think about coming after your brother," she threatened the recovering scientist, her pistol still in his face, "this bullet will be waiting for you. Then we'll see who's valuable."

Archer swallowed. "Where will you take him?"

Shepard stepped back. "Grissom Academy. They can help special cases like David – minus the torture. Now, how do I get him out?"

"I'll... I'll do it. It'll take time, but I'll do it."

The scientist turned to the rig as Shepard radioed the Normandy, "Joker, contact the Academy and let them know that we've got someone who needs their help."

_"Aye, aye, Commander."_

She had just turned back to watch Archer as he disengaged his brother from the rig, when the door behind her began to open. Still charged from the fight, she drew her assault rifle as she spun around as Miranda and Garrus entered the room, similarly armed.

"Is that you, Commander?" Miranda questioned sharply.

"It's me," she assured her team-mates, lowering her weapon.

Garrus stowed his sniper rifle and was at her side in an instant. "What in the Spirit's name happened to you?"

"The VI... David, hacked my Omni-tool and cybernetic implants when I deactivated the main panel, uploaded his memories into my mind and took me to some kind of Virtual Reality, in order to show me what had been done to him."

"What had been done to him?" Miranda parroted, questioningly.

"Dr. Archer forgot to mention, when he told us his tale, that when the Illusive Man threatened to shut down the project, he **forced** David to merge with the VI in order to get results. All David was trying to do this whole time was escape."

Garrus growled low in his throat, "Is there anything that Cerberus _won't_ do to further their goals?"

Shepard opened her mouth to respond, but suddenly her head violently spun, and she began to waver on the spot.

"Shepard?" Garrus questioned worriedly as he took a step closer to her.

"Head's spinning," she mumbled to him as he wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her. "Can't see straight."

"Perhaps it might be wise for you and Officer Vakarian to head back to the Normandy, Commander, and let Dr. Chakwas have a look at you. I'll stay and keep an eye on Dr. Archer."

Shepard nodded her head. "I'll send Jacob, Tali, and Mordin back to give Dr. Archer a hand if he needs it."

"You okay to walk?" Garrus rumbled as Miranda headed over to the rig.

"Should be."

As they made their way to the door, they heard Archer's surprised voice: "Operative Lawson? What are you doing here?"

"_Ex_-Operative, Dr. Archer. I serve under Commander Shepard now."

"So you've abandoned Cerberus?"

"Working with Shepard has opened my eyes. Cerberus isn't the organisation that I thought it was."

"There's still a war coming, though. Cerberus is only trying to stop the bloodshed."

"I know that. And we plan to fight, and win, without losing our souls in the process," Miranda returned, unknowingly quoting her commanding officer.

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

"You're staring again," Shepard's voice snapped Garrus back to reality as he piloted the Hammerhead towards the rendezvous point. She was reclined in the seat next to him, eyes closed as she combated the headache that was starting to build. It wasn't the first time that she'd caught, or in this case sensed, him staring at the cobalt tattoos on her face. Ever since she'd surprised him with them a week ago, he'd started staring at them when he thought she wasn't looking.

"I know... I just... I... you know that you didn't have to do that, don't you? I would have loved you just as much without them."

"I know that, Garrus. But as I told you, I'm not afraid to let people know that we're a couple. For all we know, we could be dead within the next month, and I didn't want to have waste time with the shoulda coulda wouldas if that was the case."

"The what now?"

Shepard laughed as she opened her eyes to look at her mate, "The shoulda coulda wouldas. It means that there's no use in dwelling on what should have, could have or would have happened or been done."

"No regrets?"

"No regrets."

Garrus smiled at his life partner then, but as he opened his mouth to say something, the Hammerhead's com crackled to life, _"Normandy to Hammerhead. You copy, Commander?"_

"I copy, Joker."

_"Garrus? That you?"_ the pilot returned, worry lacing his voice that he had not heard his commanding officer's voice. _"Where's Shepard?"_

"She's not feeling the best. The tangle with the rouge VI has taken its toll on her."

_"You want me to put Dr. Chakwas on stand-bye for when you touchdown?"_

"If you wouldn't mind. We okay to board?"

_"Yeah, sure. EDI, can you alert Dr. Chakwas to head down to the Hanger? She's got an incoming patient,"_ EDI's voice was heard in the background: "Certainly, Jeff," before Joker addressed Garrus again. _"See you in a few, Garrus."_

"Thanks, Joker. Hammerhead out."

**Fin.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Notes:**  
Thanks go to my Beta; Blueglaceon, who despite having little knowledge of the Mass Effect universe, agreed to edit the series anyway. Thanks, Blue!

Thanks also go to Gixxer600 and Draygon-Icewing for allowing me to use some exerts from their respective fics; _Mass Effect 2 Unexpected Alliances_ and _Their Finest Hour_. 

Here's the next instalment, set about a week after the Suicide Mission.

**After Omega-4**

"First Saren, now the Collectors," Garrus spoke up, as Shepard entered the Main Battery. "Remind me **never** to get on your bad side, Shepard. I _almost_ feel sorry for the Reapers."

Shepard's laughter echoed in the small space, and with a grin of his own, the Turian tuned to face his commanding officer as she stepped up to the command consol. "How're things going down here?"

"Good. Everything's back online and running at peak efficiency. But if we're about to take part in the mother of all battles, we might want to look into some more upgrades."

"You don't need to tell me twice. We're headed to the Citadel, so if you get the chance, can you have a look for anything that'll help us?"

Garrus nodded his head, before, "The Citadel, huh?"

"I'm going to present the data about Harbinger to the Council."

"Think it'll do any good?"

"I'm not holding my breath." Garrus laughed at that, and Shepard smiled in return. "Anyway, I'd better let you get back to work."

"I'll be here if you need me."

With a nod of her head, Shepard turned and left the room

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

Hours later found Garrus in the elevator, making his way up to the Commander's quarters. They'd left Omega an hour ago, after being there for a week, the repairs taking longer than expected to completed, and now he was looking forward to spending some quality time with Shepard. But when he entered the Loft, it was empty, her Cerberus officer's uniform folded neatly on the bed, but aside from that there were no other signs as to where she may have gone.

"EDI?"

"Yes, Officer Vakarian."

"Where is Kat?"

"She is in the Hanger, sparing with Operative Taylor."

"Thank you, EDI."

"Logging you out."

Though many had been wary of the AI at the start of the mission, EDI's actions throughout had well and truly proven her worthy of being a member of Shepard's crew, and had earned her the trust of all aboard the Normandy. She had further strengthened that trust a few days ago by, with the help of Legion and Tali, destroying the majority of the bugs that Cerberus had put on the ship, leaving only the bare minimum active so that she could still keep tabs on everyone, for the sake of their welfare.

Returning back to reality, Garrus divested himself of his armour and quickly changed into his own training gear before leaving the room.

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

He found them on the far side of the Hanger, circling each other as they traded blows. Suddenly Jacob lunged at Shepard, but she reacted quickly and using his momentum against him, swept a leg under his and sent him crashing to the mat. Shepard wasted no time in digging her knee into his back, pinning him to the floor.

"I give!" the dark-skinned human exclaimed immediately, and Shepard hopped off of him and offered a hand to help him up. "Looks like you won this round, Commander."

Shepard laughed. "Hopefully, the first of many."

"I hear that! We should really think on making this," he gestured to the roughly drawn ring around them, "permanent. We'll need it to blow off steam once the Reapers show. Well, for the most of us anyway..." Jacob wiggled his eyebrows at her in playful suggestion and Shepard blushed in response, her relationship with Garrus was probably one of the worst kept secrets on the ship.

Laughing, Jacob retrieved his gear. "I better get back up to the Armoury. Thanks for this, Commander."

"Anytime, Jacob. Anytime."

With a nod of his head Jacob turned and headed towards the elevator. "Vakarian." He nodded his head at the Turian as they crossed paths.

"Taylor," the vigilante returned before turning his attention to Shepard, who was now in the process of activating a training mech. "Y'know, there is a perfectly good flesh and blood opponent standing right behind you," he spoke up when he was a few steps behind her.

Shepard, startled by his voice, spun around to face him and dropped into combat stance. "_Jesus_, Garrus! Don't **do** that. You nearly gave me a heart attack!" she exclaimed when her brain finally registered that he was no threat. Garrus couldn't help but smile smugly in response.

"So how about it?"

"How about what?"

"You. Me. Sparring."

Shepard couldn't help herself, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow at him, "Ah, so there's another way for you to test your 'reach' with me?" she questioned with a smirk.

"You think you can stand it?" her mate challenged.

"Bring it on!" she refuted.

Without another word, he charged at her, slamming his shoulder into hers. She responded by digging her feet into the mat, slowing his momentum.

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

Shepard was bent over, hands on her knees, sweat pouring down her face as she took a moment to catch breath, while Garrus watched her like a hawk. After several seemingly endless bouts of brutal, full-contact sparring, she was exhausted, but she refused to give in.

"Had enough?" he taunted

"Never!" she growled as she straightened.

With a rumble, he charged easily knocking her over, and then he was on her, his armoured frame covering her smaller, trembling one, and she bent her neck so that she could observe him. But all he could see was the sweet column of her throat that had been revealed to him by the move: all he could feel were his instincts stirring to life. And then the scuff of her neck was in his mouth, his teeth breaking the smooth skin as he sought to dominate the female beneath him. But when she cried out in response to the sudden pain, he was quickly brought back to reality.

By the Spirits, what was he doing!

Shepard wasn't a Turian that he could toss around and force into submission! She was a human that needed to be treated with tender care. Letting go of her neck, Garrus scrambled off of her and moved a good distance away, feeling ashamed of himself.

"Garrus?"

"I'm sorry, Kat," he mumbled, unable to meet her eyes, as she drew closer to him.

She slipped two fingers under his muzzle, and guided him to look at her, "For what?"

"For almost letting my instincts takeover."

"I'm not made of glass, Garrus," she told him softly.

"I could hurt you!" he fired back, trying to make her understand.

"I'm a big girl, Garrus. I can handle a little pain!" she returned sharply, "I don't mind if things get rough from time to time."

"Turians don't **do** little, Kat. It's all or nothing for u-" his breath left him in a rush as Shepard suddenly rammed into him.

"Then bring it on!" she challenged as she got to her feet. "Or are you chicken?"

With a growl, Garrus scrambled up before he rushed at her, intending to knock her over, but she surprised him by feinting to the side at the last minute, which sent him crashing head first into the mats while she headed, in leisurely pace, over to the elevator.

"What's the matter, Garrus?" She called back over her shoulder. "One little human too much for you?"

With a snarl, he was on her feet, and racing over to where she stood at the elevator door, waiting for it to open. As he drew closer she turned to face him, expecting him to attack. But nothing came. He just stood there, watching her. When the door behind her whooshed open, he moved forward and she moved back until her rear end touched metal. Without taking his eyes from his mate, Garrus hit the button that closed the doors and sent the car upward.

The two stayed perfectly still until the doors opened again. Kat kept her eyes on him as she left the elevator, pivoting around so that she could still keep an eye on him as she backed into her quarters, Garrus matching her step for step until they were in the middle of the room.

His mandibles twitched slightly as he steeled himself, and Shepard dropped into a combat stance as he silently charged her. He had reach, but she had flexibility. More flexibility than any female he'd been with before. He grabbed hold of her arm, but she twisted herself in such a way that he had to let go or else risk a broken wrist. He growled, mandibles flaring as he tried a different angle only to have a surprisingly sharp elbow in his gut and her heel stomped on his toes. Shepard quickly hopped back and made a charge of her own, slamming her shoulder into Garrus' chest and knocking him down to the floor. She used the few seconds he was stunned to start removing his training pants, snarling in frustration when his leg spurs slowed her down.

With a growl, he reversed their positions after she finally removed his pants and returned the favour, his claws ripping cleanly through the fabric of her singlet top and bra. She only gave him a few moments before bucking her hips hard enough to throw his centre of gravity forward before tossing him hard to the ground, removing his tunic with the same brutal efficiency, as underneath her, he used the position to remove her boots, then her slacks and panties. She soon had the last piece of clothing off, throwing it over her shoulder. But, suddenly, Garrus bucked his hips, sending her flying, and before she could scramble up, he was on her, forcing her down to the ground, "Submit," he growled.

"Never," she snarled as she slammed her elbow into his side, knocking him off balance. She rolled to the side, lashing out with her feet, knocking him to the floor before she scrambled to her feet and made a break for her bed. She was barely a foot from it when he pounced on her, sending them both crashing to the ground. She tried to pummel him again, but he was ready for it this time: pinning her arms to the ground with his.

"Submit!" he snarled.

"Make me!" she fired back.

Garrus felt his turian-hood quivered inside him with desire at her challenge as the protective folds began to moisten in preparation. "With pleasure," he rumbled ominously before he sank his teeth into the scruff of her neck, tightly gripping the muscle beneath. Roughly grabbing her waist, he pulled her flush against him, and with a growl of warning to her, he got to his feet and dragged her over to the bed. He quickly drew the covers back before settling in the middle of the mattress. Gripping her hips tightly to prevent her from getting away, he let go of her neck as he straightened up until he loomed over her. He began to grind against her, the leathery folds of him rubbing against the soft flesh of her, causing them to swell and moisten as his cock extend out of him, hard and throbbing. He nestled the head in her folds and teased her slit until it began to weep before he speared into her.

The shock of his rapid impalement took her by surprise and she screamed loudly as he filled her to his hilt, making her sex pulse and her body jar as his throbbing member sought out every conceivable amount of space within her. He snarled viciously as his talons pierced her skin and drew blood, and using his hold on her as leverage for his thrusts, he quickly brought her to her first series of orgasms, her excitement dripping down her legs to stain the sheets below.

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

He tangled one hand into her hair, pulling her head up firmly, forcing her to arc her back and allowing him deeper penetration and a better view of their union. With her neck stretched the way it was, it made it difficult for her to scream or take deep breaths. Her moans were strained and short, nasally, almost an expression of pain. He loved it and growled his pleasure. He pumped her harder and faster, relishing every gushing orgasm he drew from her. Feeling her body grip him and quiver around him. Watching her flood him.

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

He stilled within her for a moment, giving her a chance to rest, waiting until her breathing evened out before he began to move again, rolling his hips to stroke her inner walls with the ridges on his swollen member. Soon, she tightened around him, her delicate fingers digging into the mattress as she came, moaning as she did.

Unable to hold her trembling frame up any longer, she collapsed onto the mattress, causing him to slip out of her. "Garrus..." she breathed his name weakly, as she lay there, panting and unable to move after nearly an hour of consent climax after climax. She was thoroughly exhausted and more than ready to admit defeat.

"Kathryn," he purred back blissfully as he admired her red, swollen and glistening sex, which was still quivering and open where he had been inside her. He could smell her body's euphoria as it poured from her feminine core. It was like smelling a goddess.

"Garrus..." she panted. "Garrus...please... I'm begging you... please..."

With a satisfied rumble, Garrus dropped down on all fours and grabbed her hips and yanked her back up onto her hands and knees. "What do you say?" he growled into her ear, laving her neck with his rough tongue as he brought a hand up to fondle one of the breasts, hoping to entice her.

"Gods... please..." she gasped."I submit... please... I submit!"

His entrance was complete and all at once and she arched her back in response, the moan that left her lips in response was rough and strained as Garrus set a brutal pace, plunging into her with all his might and she yelped as he sank his teeth into the muscle between her neck and shoulder. She froze, pain and pleasure merging into one as he continued to fuck her, driving his cock into her depths.

She thought she couldn't take it, that her body and her clitoris had gone beyond feeling but instead, Garrus' relentless attack had begun yet another climax and she felt a loosening slickness as her juices flowed about him. His unceasing pounding drew her out and she called out pathetically as her internal muscles began to spasm around the pounding length of his shaft. Her head felt light and she struggled to remain in place as her orgasm took hold and with a cry of intense emotion, the blue pulsing instrument of both her torture and her release delivered her into a state of euphoria.

When some semblance of mind returned, Shepard could hear Garrus growling, his whole body shaking with the vibrations of his efforts. His talons dug deeper into her hips and his saliva ran down her throat and dripped off her breasts as he continued to hold her in place with his teeth. He began to pump frantically into her wilting body, his shaft almost harder than she could stand and his slender waist completely flexed as he curled into her, unable to penetrate her any further if he tried. Suddenly, he released his grip on her neck, a feral snarl ripping from his throat as he did so. She screamed as she felt him swelling inside her, felt the ridges on his cock expand, felt the spurs digging in to her walls, locking him in place within her, and he roared as his member stiffened and hot sticky release erupted forth into her aching core.

The blessed relief of Garrus' climax was like the ending of a battle and he rumbled loudly as his release continued to pump inside her, the overflow of his seed running down her thighs. His aggressive passion seemed to ebb with the slowing pulse of his issue and unable to support herself any longer, Shepard collapsed onto the bed bellow. But because they were still joined, only her head and shoulders could touch the mattress. She rested her head flat on the pillow, eyes closed as she caught her breath as above her, her turian did the same, breathing heavily as the tension flooded from his limbs.

After a few moments, Garrus gently lowered them to the bed before rolling to the side so that they could rest comfortably until he withdrew from her body. Shepard winced at the sideways roll, as the action caused the spurs on his member to dig into her tender walls. Instantly, Garrus stilled to allow her to become accustom to the pressure as he gently pulled her ebony hair away from her neck before tenderly nuzzling her soft skin. "You okay?" he purred gently in her ear as he began to softly stroke her stomach to soothe her and she moaned, soft and sweet, in response.

Assured that he hadn't been too rough on her during the instinct driven coupling, he pulled the blankets over their cooling bodies before resting his head on the pillows and let sleep claim him

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

A few hours later, Shepard woke to find the bed cold and empty.

Slowly sitting up, wincing slightly from her wounds, she called for her mate, "Garrus?"

"Here," he rumbled softly as he came out of the bathroom, cradling a damp washcloth and a tube of Medi-gel. The bed sank as the Turian sat down beside her. He placed the gel on the bedside table before turning to her and began to gently clean the bites on her neck, washing away the dried blood. But when he reached for the Medi-gel, she stopped him.

"Kat?"

"Don't use the gel. I want them to heal naturally."

"Are you sure that's wise?"

"I'm not ashamed about being with you, Garrus," she told him firmly as he began to clean the wounds on her hips and thighs and the chaffing between her legs. "And anyone who objects can go and shove their opinions where the sun don't shine, because I plan on being with you for the rest of my life."

At her words, Garrus froze, his eyes snapping to hers. Though they'd only been together for a week, he knew in himself that Shepard was the one for him, but he had ever only dared to hope that he would hear those words from her, especially so soon…

"Garrus? You okay?" Worried, she reached out to touch him.

Finding his voice, "Are you sure, Kat? Not everyone will approve of this..." He gestured between them.

Shepard shot him a look of affection, before shaking her head. "Weren't you listening to what I just said?"

Resolved, he took a deep breath. "I know we haven't been together very long, but... Will you enter Union with me, Kat? Will you become my life partner?"

With a tender smile, she whispered, "Yes," as Garrus gathered her up in his arms and lowered his forehead to hers, "I love you, Kathryn Shepard."

"And I, you, Garrus Vakarian."

He began to purr then, low and content, and as it vibrated through his body, it caused her skin to tingle and she let out a content sigh of her own.

"Y'know," she murmured after awhile. "We still have a few more hours 'till we have to be up."

Garrus chuckled, reaching for her hips as she reached for his fringe.

**Fin.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Series Title:** After the Reapers  
**Pairing: **Garrus/Shepard

**Author:** Knights-Honour  
**Disclaimer:** Mass Effect universe © BioWare  
Any character you haven't heard of © me 

**Author's Note**  
Thanks go to my Beta; Blueglaceon, who despite having little knowledge of the Mass Effect universe, agreed to edit the series anyway. Thanks, Blue!

This little story is in response to the ME3 trailer.

If you haven't seen it yet, I HIGHLY recommend that you do.

**The Beginning of the End**

"_Commander?_"

Joker's voice echoed through the Shepard's quarters. Shepard looked up from the report she had been reading to the com on her desk.

"What's up, Joker?"

"_Councillor Anderson is requesting a meeting with you. He's says it's urgent._"

"Alright, patch it through."

"_Aye, aye._"

A hologram of her mentor soon appeared on the screen in front of her.

"I'm afraid this isn't a social call, Shepard," he addressed her immediately, his voice grave.

"What's happened, sir?"

"It's begun."

Shepard felt the blood drain out of her face. "When?"

"Two weeks ago. A small team of soldiers have only just managed to get word to the Alliance brass, and they passed it on to us."

"What… What're the stats?"

"Two million dead within the first day; seven by the end of the week. And that's just in London. All defences have been totally annihilated, and everyone's been on the run since. The Alliance is doing all they can, but they're vastly outnumbered."

Shepard closed her eyes, the images of a devastated Earth flooding her mind. She'd only been there a handful of times in her early years. Being a Navy brat meant that she had never in the same spot for too long, but her parents had taken her back to their home planet at her request, so that she could explore her Australian and Native American heritage.

"And what of the Council?" she spoke after a moment, opening her eyes to look at the hologram again. "Are they finally willing to accept that the threat that I've been warning them about since I first became a Spectre, is finally upon us? And that after they've exterminated humanity, that the rest of the galaxy will be next?"

"Yes, and they're willing to give you every resource you need-"

"And about damned time!" Garrus' growl startled Shepard, and she turned to look at him as he approached her desk.

"Garrus." Anderson nodded his head at the Turian as he stood behind Shepard's chair.

"Councillor," Garrus returned the greeting.

"So what's our next step?" Shepard questioned, returning the conversation to its grim topic.

"It won't be an easy task, but our only hope lies in uniting all of the races against the Reapers."

"An impossible task," Shepard murmured.

Anderson chuckled. "But you seemed to have built your career on impossible tasks," he reminded her. "Good luck out there, Shepard. You're our only hope."

Shepard nodded her head grimly before the hologram disappeared. She took a deep breath, her head falling into her hands as she contemplated the grim mission that they were about to undertake. A gentle squeeze on her shoulder reminded her that she wasn't alone in this, and she looked up at her mate for a moment before she abandoned her chair and stepped into his embrace.

"We'll get through this," he murmured to her.

"Spirits, I hope so!" she returned, a hint of hysteria in her voice.

"We will," he soothed, stroking a tri-fingered hand down her back, hoping to calm her. It seemed to work, because when she stepped back she was a little less tense.

"EDI?"

"Yes, Commander?"

"Can you inform the crew that there's a meeting in the CIC in ten minutes, please?"

"What about Grunt?"

"Leave him be. He's due back on board this afternoon, I'll tell him then."

"Understood." the orb blinked after a moment. "Messages away. Are you feeling alright, Commander?"

"Not really. But thanks for asking."

Hand in hand with Garrus, she left her quarters to start the beginning of the end.

**Fin.**


	5. Chapter 5  Part 1

**Series Title:** After the Reapers  
**Pairing: **Garrus/Shepard

**Author:** Knights-Honour  
**Disclaimer:** Mass Effect universe © BioWare  
Any character you haven't heard of © me 

**Author's Notes:**  
Thanks go to my Beta; Blueglaceon, who despite having little knowledge of the Mass Effect universe, agreed to edit the series anyway. Thanks, Blue!

This little gem is set a week before _No Regrets._

Hope y'all enjoy it!

**Mark of Honour – Decisions**

Shepard let a sigh out a sigh as she left the Council chambers.

Despite the overwhelming evidence, the Council were still denying the Reaper threat. But at least now, after severing ties with Cerberus, both they, and the Alliance, were willing to work with her again.

They were baby steps she knew, and as much as they frustrated her, it was a start.

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

"Staff Commander Alenko came aboard a few minutes ago, Commander," EDI informed Shepard the moment she enter the CIC. "He's waiting for you in the Communications room."

The human Spectre thanked the AI as she started towards the mentioned room, but as she passed Kelly, the young Yeoman called out to her, "Commander, you've received a new message at your private terminal."

"Thanks, Kelly."

Kaidan could wait for a few more minutes. Logging into her e-mail account, she opened the new message:

_From: Illusive Man  
Shepard,_

One of our cells just went off the grid without explanation. Project Overlord has been experimenting with highly volatile technology, and I need you to investigate. Their work is extremely compartmentalized, enough that I can't divulge operational details over this channel.

You'll find them on the planet Aite, Typhon system, in the Phoenix Massing cluster.

Please use care in this matter.

Shepard released the breath that she hadn't realised she was holding. This was the first direct message that she'd received from the Illusive Man since she'd cut ties with Cerberus. And while one part of her was relieved to see that he was at least willing to set aside his grudge against her for blowing up the Collector base and work with her against the Reaper threat. Another part of her was wary: what did he expect from her in return for doing this?

Shaking her head, she logged out of her computer. She would deal with this later.

For now, Kaidan was waiting to be debriefed.

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

Kaidan turned when he heard the door swoosh open behind him and he smiled when he saw that it was Shepard. She looked as beautiful as ever, though he scowled a little at the Cerberus uniform she was wearing. Anderson had told him that she'd cut ties with the human supremacist group, so why was she wearing it? Clearing his head, he snapped to attention. "Reporting for duty, Commander."

"At ease, Kaidan."

But before she could say anything more, Kaidan closed the distance between them and lowered his head to hers, his arms encircling her waist to pull her closer, as he claimed her lips in a heated kiss. But Shepard didn't respond, her head in a whirl as she stood stock still.

A part of her had always wondered what it would be like to be with another human after being with Garrus.

And now she knew.

His touch, his taste, hell, even the very **feel** of him. All were alien to her. She was used to hard plates and skin that felt soft suede leather; to tri fingered hands tipped with razor-sharp claws; to the gentle nudging of foreheads to express affection and tender nuzzling after a bout of lovemaking; to soft purrs as they drifted off to sleep and harsh growls when the Turian was pissed off. And on that thought, she raised her hands to Kaidan's chest and pushed him away.

The handsome biotic was clearly stunned by the move, "Kat?" he questioned as he reached for her again.

Anger flared in her at his actions and she was about to ask what the hell was wrong with him when she remembered; only the crew of the Normandy knew of her Union to Garrus. Only they, and her mother, had witnessed the simple ceremony three days ago that had bonded she and her Turian mate together for life.

And now she had to break the news to Kaidan.

"I'm sorry, Kaidan. But we can't do this anymore," she whispered softly.

"This is because of what I said on Horizon, isn't it? Why you didn't respond to my e-mail?"

"Partially." She took a deep breath. "The truth is that I'm with someone else now."

At her admission Kaidan looked as if he'd been punched in the gut, stumbling backwards until he bumped into the table behind him. Propping himself up on it, he took a moment to compose himself.

"Who… Who's the lucky guy?" he asked after a few minutes.

"Garrus."

Kaidan's eyes snapped to hers then, and she tensed up; was he going to make a scene? But then his shoulders slumped in defeat and he looked away.

"Should have known, really," he whispered softly. "The two of you were close on the old Normandy. Only a matter of time before the inevitable happened."

Shepard hated to see Kaidan like this. Despite all that had occurred between them, he was a good man who deserved something better.

"Regardless of all that's happened between us, Kaidan, you're still welcome to serve on the Normandy."

At this, Kaidan straightened, seeming to bury his grief. "I'm fit for duty, ma'am."

Shepard smiled at him, inwardly shaking her head, he hadn't changed a bit. "EDI?"

The blue orb of EDI's avatar appeared beside Kaidan. "Yes, Commander?"

"Is Jacob busy?"

"He's currently stripping a weapon in the Armoury."

"Can you tell him that I want to see him in here, ASAP, please?"

"Of course, Commander."

The orb disappeared.

"An AI?" Kaidan asked incredulously. "Bet Joker wasn't too happy when he found out about it."

"He wasn't to begin with. But EDI has proven herself worthy of being on the team."

Kaidan just shook his head at the way she was talking about the AI.

Shepard couldn't help but laugh at his scepticism. "You'll see, Kaidan. You'll see."

The doors behind them opened then and Jacob enter the room. "You wanted to see me, Commander?" the Cerberus Operative questioned his commanding officer.

"Kaidan, I'd like you to meet Jacob Taylor." She introduced the two men to each other. "Jacob, this is Kaidan Alenko."

The two soldiers shook hands.

"Taylor… the name sounds familiar…" Kaidan spoke, puzzled.

"I'm ex-Alliance," Jacob informed their newest crewmember before turning to look at Shepard.

"Can you give Kaidan a tour of the new Normandy and then show him to his quarters? I'd do it myself, but I've got an appointment on the Citadel in half an hour that I can't miss, and then I'll be spending the night on the Orizaba."

"No troubles, Commander. Have a good night." Jacob snapped to attention before turning and leaving.

"See you in the morning." Kaidan saluted her as well before picking up his duffelbag and followed Jacob.

Shepard watched them go before turning to the table. "EDI?"

"Yes, Commander?"

"Can you tell Miranda that I'm about to head out, and that she's in charge until I returning in the morning?"

"Message away. Enjoy your evening with your mother, Commander." The AI told her before disappearing.

"I will, EDI," she said to herself as she turned and left the room. With only twenty-five minutes before her appointment, she'd have to hurry to get to Zakera Ward in time.

**TBC…**


	6. Chapter 5 Part 2

**Series Title:** After the Reapers  
**Pairing: **Garrus/Shepard

**Author:** Knights-Honour  
**Disclaimer:** Mass Effect universe © BioWare  
Any character you haven't heard of © me 

**Author's Notes:**  
Thanks go to my Beta; Blueglaceon, who despite having little knowledge of the Mass Effect universe, agreed to edit the series anyway. Thanks, Blue!

This takes place the day after _Mark of Honour – Decisions_ and starts around about lunch-time.

**Mark of Honour – One of the Clan**

"Commander?" EDI's voice floated through the Loft and Shepard looked up from the report she was compiling to send to the Alliance brass before they left the Citadel in two days time.

"Yes, EDI?"

"I apologise for interrupting you. However, a situation has arisen in the Hanger."

"What kind of situation?" she questioned, gently stroking the dressing that covered her new face tattoo, she'd be able to take it off in a few hours, but for now she had to put up with the itching sensation it was causing. "Not between Garrus and Grunt surely?" She knew that the two had been planning to have a wrestling match down there sometime today.

"No, Commander. It's between Staff Commander Alenko and Officer Vakarian." EDI corrected.

Shepard sighed as she cradled her face in her hands; she'd thought that this might happen. When she'd returned this morning, she'd bumped into Kaidan as she'd been heading to the elevator. He'd seen the pristine white dressing on her face and had instantly asked her what had happened to her. She'd told him that she was fine and to not worry about it, but it seemed that he had done exactly the opposite, and had gone to challenge Garrus.

"How bad are things down there, EDI?"

"At the moment they're only having a shouting match. But there's a 99% chance that things will turn violent if they are not broken up shortly."

"Thanks for the heads up," Shepard told the AI as she rose from her chair. "I'll go and deal with them."

"Logging you out." EDI's orb disappeared, and with a sigh Shepard headed towards the door. '_Damn you, Kaidan, for spoiling my surprise for Garrus,_' she silently seethed as she entered the elevator and sent it on its way down to the Hanger.

"-my **mate!** Why in the Spirit's name would I hurt her?" Garrus' furious tone of voice greeted her when the elevator doors opened.

"Then explain to me why half of her face is covered in gauze?" Kaidan fired back.

"That's enough, Kaidan!" Shepard barked as she strode over to the two bickering males. "Stand down!" she ordered. She was grateful to see that Grunt hadn't gotten involved in the argument, though the young Krogan was clearly annoyed at the new human for disrupting the wrestling match with his Battlemaster's mate. Kaidan took a few steps back as Shepard put herself between them, gripping the front of Garrus' neck ridge to hold him in place. "Now, you wanna tell me, Alenko, why the hell you came charging down here like a bull at a gate to pick a fight?"

"Who said I started the fight?" Kaidan questioned.

"I did," EDI's avatar popped up on the consol behind them. "I observed the situation for a moment before judging that it would become violent if not stopped, so I alerted the Commander as to what was happening."

"Damned AI! Can't even-"

"Don't start that crap, Alenko!" Shepard cut him off harshly. "EDI's a member of this crew whether you like it or not! And for that matter, did it ever occur to you that I might have done this," she referred to the dressing on her face, "to myself? Besides, I wasn't even **on** the Normandy last night, remember? So how can Garrus be responsible?"

That caused Kaidan to falter, "I…"

"I know you only had my best interests at heart, Kaidan," she spoke, her own tone of voice softening. "But it's no longer your concern. Garrus is my mate now, it's his responsibility."

"I… you're right, Kat…" Garrus growled a warning to Alenko for being so personal with Shepard and Kaidan swallowed nervously in response. Perhaps it was time for him to make a hasty retreat. "…I'm sorry. I'd better head back upstairs. Jacob said he needed some help in the Armoury," he said before he turned and headed back to the elevator

"He's right though," Garrus said softly to her as soon as Kaidan was out of earshot, and she turned to look at him as he raised a hand to gently stroke the dressing, "What did happen to you?"

Shepard sighed. "It was supposed to be a surprise for you when you returned to the Loft tonight."

Garrus tilted his head, a human gesture that he'd picked up from her, as he watched her in her moment of melancholy. "It still can be," he told her softly after a moment. "Technically, I haven't seen what's under the dressing yet," she brightened at that, and reached out to stroke his waist, which earned an aroused purr from him in return.

"Stupid human," Grunt rumbled after a moment, breaking Garrus and Shepard from their embrace, still watching Kaidan as he waited for the elevator to arrive. "Clan Leader Wrex was right about him."

Letting go of Garrus, Shepard looked to Grunt. "Right about what?" she questioned curiously.

"That he treats you like you're a defenceless varren pup, unable to defend yourself, instead of a great warrior!"

Shepard didn't know whether to be bemused or proud about the whole thing. "You've been speaking to Wrex about me?" she questioned the young krogan.

"I asked the Clan Leader to tell me of his adventures with you," Grunt replied. "So that I could learn about your many battles before we met. My words to the Shaman after my Rite on Tuchanka were right; you are unmatched in your prowess, Shepard, and I am proud to serve under you."

Shepard chuckled. "And on that note, I'll leave you two boys to your wrestling match." She patted Garrus' chest. "Don't get too badly hurt, okay?"

"I'll try not to."

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

Hours later found Garrus on his way back up to the Loft, feeling slightly nervous.

True, he'd said to Shepard that he hadn't seen under the dressing. But he wouldn't be much of a Turian if he couldn't recognise when someone had tattooed their face with his clan's mark.

And therein lay the problem; while a part of him was thrilled by what she had done, another part was just as equally worried. There was still a lot of underlying tension between their two races from the First Contact War. How would his people react to him taking a human as his life partner? Or for that matter, how would her people respond? With a sigh, he cleared his head as the elevator door opened. As the human saying went; what's done is done. They'd just have to deal with the consequences when they arose.

Leaving the elevator car he entered their quarters, his predatory blues seeking out the whereabouts of his mate. She was at her desk, her officer's jacket draped over the back of the chair, reading something off of a data pad. As he drew nearer, his keen sight picked up the damp patches on the straps of the white singlet top she was wearing. She'd had a shower recently, which meant that she'd likely taken the dressing off of-

She turned to face him then, and he stilled as his eyes roved her face. Her markings weren't an exact replica of his, lacking a few details, but in all honesty, the design that she'd chosen made her look unique. Each and every line was sharp and precise. Not to mention the cobalt ink contrasted nicely with her chocolate coloured skin and green eyes.

He gently slipped his fingers under her chin then and tilted her head upwards so that he could see the tattoo more clearly.

"I… I know that they're not exactly the same as yours," Shepard began to speak as he turned her head to see the marks in their entirety. "But seeing as a human face is smaller than a Turians, I had to compromise. I tried to keep the majority of the main design, though-"

Any further speech was halted when Garrus pressed his forehead tenderly to hers and began to purr. "They're fine, Kat. More than fine," he murmured softly to her, and she smiled at him.

"Good, because they're only one part of my surprise," she said as she pulled away, taking his hand as she walked over to her armour locker. She let go of his hand to open the locker before stepping back, gesturing with her chin for Garrus to take a look.

"Spirits Above and Below!" he exclaimed as his eyes spotted the brand new black military-grade, blue-lit armour that rested within. "This is the new Luminox armour!" he turned back to his mate. "How did you…?"

"I called in a couple of favours."

"You didn't have to do this, Kat. I'm happy with what I've got," he referred to the battered armour he was wearing.

"I know that. But what kind of a mate would I be if I didn't try to help my man out every once in awhile? Besides, this is tit for tat; you gave me the animal totem and the dreamcatcher as my Union gift; I give you armour and my Clan mark for yours."

At her words, Garrus' eyes snapped to hers. While he knew that, physically, emotionally and spiritually, she belonged to him, and he to her. But, this was the first time that she'd spoken of that possession aloud, and he felt something stir deep inside him in response. New armour forgotten, he made his way back to her and gathered her up in his arms. "Your man, huh?" he purred against her throat, feeling himself moisten inside his armour as he exposed her bond scar and gently grazed it with his teeth.

"Mmmhmm," she purred back, furthering his excitement, as she reached up to remove his visor.

"Well then, _your man_ had better show you how grateful he is," he rumbled as he scooped up her small frame and made his way over to the bed.

**Fin.**


	7. Chapter 6

**Series Title:** After the Reapers  
**Pairing: **Garrus/Shepard

**Author:** Knights-Honour  
**Disclaimer:** Mass Effect universe © BioWare  
Any character you haven't heard of © me 

**Author's Notes:**  
Thanks go to my Beta; Blueglaceon, who despite having little knowledge of the Mass Effect universe, agreed to edit the series anyway. Thanks, Blue!

This is set just before Shepard begins to investigate Project Overlord.

**Things Change**

_"Isn't it a little early for war-paint, Commander?" Joker quipped as he spun his chair around to face her as she approached the pilot._

"The markings on the Commander's face are not 'war-paint', Jeff," EDI piped up beside him, "They are-"

"Tattoos of Garrus' clan mark. Yeah, I know, EDI. Kinda hard to miss, seeing as Shepard was wrapped up like a mummy for the most of yesterday." Joker, smirkingly, informed his companion before turning back to a bemused Shepard. "So, where to now?"

"A Cerberus base on Aite has gone silent in the past couple of days," the human Spectre told her pilot. "The Illusive Man wants us to check it out."

"So the 'boss' is playing nice?"

"For now. And as much as I'm wary about doing this, if we're to stand a chance against the Reapers when they show, we need to be a united force. Cerberus included."

"Don't need to tell me twice. Setting a course for the Phoenix Massing nebula. All going well, we should be there within a week."

"I'll leave you to it."

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

Garrus couldn't help but swagger a little as he stepped out off the lift and into the CIC. His new armour fitted him like a glove and he couldn't help but show it off a little. Ahead of him Shepard, also clad in her armour, was consulting the galaxy map.

"_We've just entered Aite's atmosphere, Commander,_" Joker announced over the com.

"Thanks, Joker. EDI, do you have the location of the base?"

"I have uploaded the co-ordinates to the Hammerhead's VI," the Normandy's AI reported.

"Right then. The Normandy's yours, Joker. Keep your eyes sharp."

"_Aye, aye, Commander._"

Turning away from the galaxy hologram, Shepard descended the stairs, smiling tenderly at Garrus when she drew level with him. "Hey," she murmured softly.

"Hey," he murmured back, pressing his forehead to hers, being mindful not to bump her visor.

But their moment was broken by the arrival of a fuming, armour-clad, Kaidan. "We're investigating a **Cerberus** facility? Tell me you're joking!"

Shepard stepped away from Garrus. "No, I'm not. The Illusive Man contacted me just before we left the Citadel."

"You told the Council that you'd broken ties with him!"

"I have."

"Then why the hell are we here?"

"Because the cell here has gone inexpiably off-grid," Miranda's voice entered the argument, and Shepard noted that she'd come from direction of the Armoury.

"So you say 'jump' and you expect her to say 'how high?'" the biotic accused the curvy ex-operative before looking back at Shepard. "Can't you see that they're treating you like a puppet?"

Miranda rolled her eyes as Garrus began to growl at Kaidan's lack of trust in the woman he had once called his mate. "Typical Alliance. Always blame Cerberus."

"Miranda," Shepard spoke her XO's name in a warning tone.

Miranda got the hint. "Good luck down there, Commander," she said before heading to the elevator.

"When will you get it through your thick head that I'm here because I **want** to be, Kaidan!" Shepard demanded when Miranda had gone.

"I don't trust Cerberus. And I never thought I'd see the day where you'd work with them willingly."

"Things change, Kaidan," Shepard told him as she turned for the elevator. "The Shepard you knew died a long time ago."

Garrus shook his head, and Kaidan spotted the action. "What? Don't tell me you didn't have reservations about working for Cerberus, Garrus."

"With," Garrus corrected.

"What?"

"We worked **with** Cerberus, not for them. Little word, big difference. And yes I did have reservations. Difference is that I trusted Shepard, trusted her judgement, enough to know that she knew what she was doing," he stated as turned to follow his mate. "Now, c'mon, she'll leave us behind if we're not in the Hammerhead by the time she's ready to go."

**Fin.**


	8. Chapter 7

**Author's Notes:**  
Thanks go to my Beta; Blueglaceon, who despite having little knowledge of the Mass Effect universe, agreed to edit the series anyway. Thanks, Blue!

This is set just before Kasumi's loyalty mission. Garrus' has already been done by this point, so he and Kat have started their romance.

**Realization**

"The Kodiak's ready to-" Garrus' words choked in his throat as he turned to face Shepard as she approached the shuttle and he felt his jaw drop and his mandibles flare in shock as he took in the skimpy black dress she was wearing.

He'd never seen her in something so... feminine before, and by the Spirits, it stirred something within him, as at the same time made him see, **really** see, for the first time that she was more than just his commanding officer. She was also woman. A woman who, just a few days ago, had expressed her interest in him.

Him!

The wounded, jobless excuse of a Turian who had very little to offer her. Surely she should be with someone who was more like her and could give her everything she deserved.

"Garrus?" Shepard's worried voice brought him back to reality and he realised what had concerned her; he'd unconsciously tucked his mandibles back against his jaw in displeasure as he'd been thinking. "You okay?"

Pushing his turmoiled thoughts away, he flared his mandibles in the Turian equivalent of a grin, "Just fine," he assured her as he took one of her hands in the both of his. "Shepard... Kat, you look absolutely _gorgeous._"

She blushed then. "Well, aren't you a sweet-talker," she murmured as she stood up on the tip-toes to kiss him on his injured mandible. Chuckling softly, he bent his head, following her as she returned to the ground, to nuzzle her neck, fluttering his mandibles against her soft skin. Shepard moaned at his actions as she slid her remaining hand under his fringe and began to stroke his skin. Garrus began to purr at the sensation, and he let go of Shepard's hand to pull her flush against him, as he felt his protective folds moisten beneath his armour.

"Ready to go, Shep?" Kasumi's voice echoed through the Hanger, startling the couple from their intimate moment, and much to his dismay, reminded him of why Shepard was dressed like she was.

"Be careful out there, Shepard," the Turian rumbled to her as he took a step back. She nodded her head at him before entering the shuttle, Kasumi right behind her.

"Don't worry, Garrus," the thief called back over her shoulder as the Kodiak's door shut behind her. _"I've got Shep's back. I won't let her get hurt, I promise."_ She finished over his audial.

Though he understood the necessity of Shepard going in alone; the more people with her, the easier it would be to be for someone to recognise her for who she really was and endanger the mission. And even though he knew that she could take care of herself and that Kasumi would be there as well, it still left a bitter taste in his mouth. Not to mention that the very **idea** of other males laying their hands on Shepard had him seeing red. The shuttles engines hummed to life then, once again snapping Garrus to the present, and he made his way over to the elevator. He still hadn't quite finished installing the new Thanix Cannon that Shepard had asked him to look into, and if they were to survive this mission, the Normandy had to be at the top of her game.

Hopefully his calibrations would keep him busy until Shepard returned.

**Fin.**


	9. Chapter 8

**Series Title:** After the Reapers  
**Pairing: **Garrus/Shepard

**Author:** Knights-Honour  
**Disclaimer:** Mass Effect universe © BioWare  
Any character you haven't heard of © me

**Author's Notes:**

Thanks go to my Beta; Blueglaceon, who despite having little knowledge of the Mass Effect universe, agreed to edit the series anyway. Thanks, Blue!

This is set the night that Shepard and her crew return from the Omega-4 relay.

**Affirmation of Life**

"Officer Vakarian?"

Garrus' nimble fingers stilled on the consul. "Yes, EDI?"

"I apologise for interrupting your calibrations. However, I thought you'd like to know that the Commander's sleep pattern tonight has been unsettled and erratic. She seems to be greatly distressed by whatever it is she's dreaming about."

'_She's having a night terror!_' Garrus realised, and then mentally kicked himself in his nether-scales. He should have spent the night with her, but being back on Omega had him on edge. Though they were only staying long enough to make the Normandy flight worthy enough to make it through a Mass Relay safely before heading to the Citadel, even that short time was too long for him. So he'd opted to remain in the Main Battery and work on reconfiguring the Thanix Cannon.

And now, when she needed him the most, he wasn't there!

Growling at his own cowardice, he grabbed his tunic off of his cot, hastily pulling it on as he left the room.

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

_The larvae's head snapped backward as Shepard delivered the final blow and the leviathan began to explode. Crumpling foreword, it collided heavily with the platform, causing Garrus to lose his footing, and as the Reaper began to slip off of the platform, the Turian followed suit. Not even stopping to think, Shepard dove after him, desperately trying to reach him in time before..._

"_GARRUS!" she screamed as he slipped off the edge and plummeted into the abyss below..._

With a hoarse cry, Shepard bolted awake, eyes wild as she gulped for air.

It took a few moments for her to realise that she was on the Normandy, safe and sound, and that **all** members of her team had made it back from the nightmare that was the Collector base. Cradling her head in her trembling hands, she closed her eyes, taking in a few shuddering breaths as she sought to calm herself.

So wrapped up in herself, Shepard didn't hear the door open, nor did she see Garrus enter, his eyes immediately going to the double bed or hear the curse that he muttered under his breath when he saw her sweat soaked, trembling form, the sheets twisted tightly around her body. So when a tri-fingered hand gently touched her shoulder, she jumped a foot in the air, her eyes snapping open to locate the intruder.

"Easy," he purred softly as settled on the bed beside her.

"Garrus..." she breathed his name shakily before flinging herself into his waiting arms, clinging to him as if he'd disappear if she didn't. "...couldn't get to you in time... watched you slip over the edge of the platform..." she whispered brokenly.

He knew then what her night terror had been about; death. The same theme that had haunted his own dreams. He'd woken from his own night terror a few hours ago, shaking like a newborn colt. He'd already lost her once, and he had no desire to repeat the experience again if it could be helped. "Shhh..." he murmured, stroking her back. "It's alright," he soothed. "I'm here."

They remained that way for some time until she began to calm, loosening her grip on him and settling on his lap as she began to stroke the skin under his fringe. He purred in response to the caress, gripping her backside and pulling her flush against him, as he began to knead her flesh of her rump. Moaning, she pressed herself against him ardently, applying pressure to the back of his head. Understanding what she wanted, he lowered his head to hers. Tentatively, she pressed her lips to his muzzle, initiating their very first kiss. Garrus reacted immediately, bringing a hand up to cup the back of her head as he tilted his own as he did his best to respond. She didn't seem to mind that his lips weren't as pliable as hers, as his dextrous tongue to probe the crease of her lips, seeking admittance. With a throaty moan she opened her mouth to him as her own tongue came out to play, sweeping into his mouth to rub against his. They explored each other's mouths for a few minutes before parting.

With a tender rumble Garrus rested his forehead against hers as they caught their breath. "So that's what a kiss feels like," he murmured after a moment.

At his words, Shepard pulled back a little. "You were curious?"

Garrus tilted his head at that. "Kissing is one of the main ways that your kind use express affection. Why wouldn't I be?" he paused then as a thought occurred. "Is that why you didn't last night?"

Shepard grinned sheepishly. "I didn't know what you would think, how you would react. So I didn't do it."

Garrus shook his head and chuckled softly as he began to stroke her back again. She'd been just as nervous about offending or upsetting him as he'd been about her during their first coupling.

"I should have known, though," she continued. "You have to give and take for a relationship to work." Garrus stilled at her words, his predatory blues snapping to her mossy greens. "Garrus?" she queried uneasily, had she said too much, too soon?

"Is that... Is that what you want?" He asked roughly, a part of him afraid of what her answer would be. "Us... together?"

"If that's what you want?" she returned, just as timid. After all, he'd said that he didn't have a fetish for humans.

"Yes," he purred as buried his face in her neck and began to lave the sensitive column of her throat with his tongue. "Kat..." he rumbled after a moment, as he continued to stroke her neck. The need to couple with her, to claim her, was rising in him with a fiery passion. But he needed to ask her before they could start. "Will you be my mate?" he questioned as he felt himself moisten in preparation.

"Yes," she moaned back as he slipped his fingers underneath the hem of her top and drew it up her body. She raised her arms above her head, allowing him to remove the spaghetti strapped top completely and toss it over his shoulder. Removing his gloves, he watched Shepard draw away from him and settle further back on the bed as he disrobed himself.

Stripped of his clothes, Garrus stalked towards her on his hands and knees, eagerly seeking her lips for another kiss. When he drew back he slipped his thumbs, being mindful of his sharp claws, in the waistband of her lavender pyjama bottoms and panties and drew them down her shapely legs. The heady scent of her arousal permeated the air as she spread her legs, revealing her glistening sex to his ardent gaze and his cock extended out of him in response. He kneeled between her open thighs, shifting her legs so that they rested, knees bent, over his waist as he settled himself at her entrance. Gently griping her hips, he rocked forward, the head of his throbbing shaft entering her tight channel, earning a mutual moan from them both. Garrus had to grit his teeth together as he continued to slowly fill her, giving her body time to adjust to his massive member, all the while fighting the instinct to slam into her and dominate their coupling from the get-go. Beneath him, Shepard closed her eyes as she began to thrash her head from side to side, because as he continued to push into her, the ridges on his cock stimulated her clit as they passed, sending shockwaves through her body.

He wasn't even fully sheathed inside of her yet and already she was close to climaxing!

"Kat...?" Garrus voice returned her to reality, and she opened her eyes to find Garrus looming over her. He was now buried to the hilt, and she could see the strain on his features from keeping himself in check and remain perfectly still within her, waiting for her permission to begin. Moaning at the desire in his eyes, she undulated against him in response. Permission granted, Garrus began to thrust into her, slowly at first, but with a little encouragement, he upped the ante as beneath him, Shepard began pant, her walls beginning to grip his cock tightly as she drew closer and closer to her climax.

He watched in fascination, as they continued to feverishly come together, as pinkish spots began to appear under her breasts, and then they began to spread, first over her breasts, then down her stomach and back up to her neck. From the information packets that Dr. Solus had given him, he remembered that this reaction was commonly called a "sex flush" by her species, and that it occurred during sexual stimulation as a sign of excitement. Vasocongestion, the scientific name of the reaction, was also responsible for a few other things, and he gazed down at where they were joined to spot them; her swollen clit was protruding out from its hood and the Turian groaned at the sight of the darked head peering up at him, his member throbbing in response.

"You can touch it," Shepard's husky voice reached his ears, and he averted his gaze as he stilled within her, suddenly shy.

"I... I don't think that's wise, Kat..." he stammered.

Shepard tenderly smiled, his reaction warming her heart as her own worries were put to bed. Garrus had been nothing but the perfect gentleman during their couplings so far, not a single hint of the aggressive, dominance fuelled side of the Turian males that she had seen in the vids that Mordin had given her. So perhaps it was now her turn to relieve some of his fears.

"Garrus, look at me," she whispered, tenderly cupping his cheek as he reluctantly met her gaze. "You do know that I trust you, explicitly, right?"

"On the battlefield, yes."

She ruefully shook her head. "This, here and now, is no diff-"

"It's plenty different!" he fired back. "I could tear you to ribbons!"

"And yet you haven't," she returned, in a clam tone of voice, "You've shown nothing but restraint during our couplings, both last night and now."

"I... I just don't want to hurt you..." he whispered, his aggression fading. "You're the only thing that's going right in my life right now, Kat... I don't want to lose that... to lose you... again..."

"Oh, Garrus..." she murmured softly as she sat up, her own eyes pricking with tears as she wrapped him up in her embrace, "I'm not going anywhere."

"But you're not infallible! The Collectors proved that two years ago!"

"The Collectors caught us off guard. The Reapers won't get that chance, believe me." Her words seemed to soothe him, for he relaxed against her, burying his head in her shoulder.

"I still don't want to hurt you, though," her murmured as he raised his head to look her in the eyes, as he began to caress her skin.

She laughed throatily, one hand sliding under his fringe, as the other took a meandering path towards his waist, teasing the sensitive skin in between his plates as she went. "You don't give yourself enough credit."

Garrus groaned as her fingers began to simultaneously caress his waist and his fringe. "Will... will you... s-show-" he broke off with a long drawn out moan as she began to suck and nibble on his uninjured mandible. "...S-spirits Above..." he groaned again, flaring his mandibles wide as her tongue came into play, stroking and teasing the appendages' sensitive inner membrane. The stimulation of his species' three primary erogenous zones soon overwhelmed him, and Shepard paused her ministrations on his body, moaning as she felt his cock swell inside of hers. "As much as I love what you're doing, Kat," he purred against her throat as he eased them back onto the bed and then drew back to hover over her. "I want to return the favour."

She tenderly smiled up at him. "Trust me," she murmured as she took one of his hands in hers. Covering the tip of one of his claws with the flesh pad of her own, she settled their hands between her thighs and guided him to the sensitive little organ and using the rough pad of his digit, they began to stroke her clit. Alternating between stroking and circling the aroused nub, they quickly brought her to the brink. "Oh, God... Garrus... I'm close... please..." she moaned, as she began to thrash her head from side to side. With a groan of his own at her rippling channel, he began to move within her, the occasional brushing of their joined fingers against his cock only furthering his pleasure. Panting as the swirling sensations surged through her, she raised her remaining hand to one of her breasts and began to frantically tease and pinch her nipple. The sight of Shepard stimulating herself was the final straw for Garrus and he thrust into her, burying himself deep, roaring as he reached his peak. The sensation of their bodies locking together sent her over the edge as well and she screamed as she followed her mate into oblivion.

Exhausted, Shepard closed her eyes as she nestled back into the warmth of the bed. Garrus watched her as she came down from her high, purring in satisfaction when the overflow of his seed began trickling out of her, running down his thighs and dripping onto the pristine white sheets below, staining them blue. He'd filled her to the brim!

Opening her eyes after a time, she held her arms out to Garrus in invitation. Smiling, he bent down and gently scooped her up against him and carefully got to his knees before settling back on the bed, snagging the sheets and blankets as he went.

"Spirits," she murmured as she began to trace patterns on his abdominal plates with her fingers. "I hope I never get used to being joined with you..."

Garrus stilled at her words, unsure of how to take them.

"Garrus?" Shepard raised her head from his chest to look at him.

"What... What do you mean by that?" he asked, his mandibles fluttering nervously.

She smiled at him ruefully. "C'mere," she murmured to him, slipping a hand behind his neck, bringing his head down to hers, before she kissed him soundly. "You need to stop over analysing everything I say," she chided him gently when she drew back.

"I know... it's just... all of this is new to me and I don't want to stuff it up," he murmured as he began to stroke her back.

"You won't. Trust me," she murmured back a she sought his muzzle for another kiss. "I just meant that I hope that I never get used to the sensations you cause in my body when we lock together," she told him when she drew back, her channel tightening around his shaft in response to her thoughts. "You've no idea how just how erotic it feels."

He groaned in response to her aroused reaction as he settled back on the bed, her following suit and cuddling up against his chest, content with all that had transpired that night.

"Think the night terrors will come back?" he questioned softly after a while.

"I'm pretty sure you've chased them all away," she murmured back sleepily. "But it probably would hurt to put a dreamcatcher up."

"A dreamcatcher?" he questioned, but she was already fast asleep.

Making a mental note to do some research on the Extranet sometime tomorrow, Garrus continued to hold Shepard until he, too, drifted off.

**Fin.**


	10. Chapter 9 Part 1

**Series Title:** After the Reapers  
**Pairing: **Garrus/Shepard

**Author:** Knights-Honour  
**Disclaimer:** Mass Effect universe © BioWare  
Any character you haven't heard of © me 

**Author's Notes:**

Thanks go to my Beta; Blueglaceon, who despite having little knowledge of the Mass Effect universe, agreed to edit the series anyway. Thanks, Blue!

This is set about a week before _The Beginning of the End._

**Return to Tuchanka**

"_We've just entered Tuchanka's atmosphere, Commander,_" Joker reported over the ship's com as Shepard, Garrus and Grunt stepped out of the elevator and into the Hanger.

"Thanks, Joker. The Normandy's yours. Don't get up to any mischief while we're gone."

"_I'd have to be Superman to be able to do that in half an hour, Commander._" Joker's laughter echoed through the Hanger. "_See you when you return. Joker out._"

Chuckling, Shepard entered the Kodiak and settled behind the controls, "Everyone aboard? Next stop, sunny Tuchanka."

"Better buckle up, Grunt," Garrus advised the young Krogan, following his own advice as the shuttle hummed to life. "Shepard tends to turn into a kamikaze when she gets behind the wheel."

"I heard that!"

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

Fifteen minutes later found the trio making their way through the war-torn landscape towards Wrex's throne, the Varren Urz eagerly trotting alongside his master, as all around them Krogans stopped to stare at Shepard as she passed and Kat knew that she didn't need to be Einstein to figure out why: her tattoos. While Turian/human couples weren't all that unheard of, cases of a human taking a Turian's clan marks were extremely rare. Doing her best to block out the murmurs, she pressed on until Wrex came into view.

The Urdnot Clan Leader was speaking to his clan's Shaman, but when he spotted his former team-mates he stood up and swept past the Shaman to greet them.

"Shepard," he rumbled as he gripped her arm in his. "Back from the Omega-4 Relay, I see."

"Wrex," she returned the greeting as Wrex spotted Garrus.

"Garrus?" the old Krogan lumbered past Shepard and thrust his hand out again as Shepard remembered that she hadn't brought Garrus ashore when she had discovered the Wrex was the leader of Clan Urdnot, as Mordin and Grunt had made much more sense as a ground-party at the time, seeing as both had had business with the chief, though she'd sent for him to participate in Grunt's Rite and to help with the search for Maelon. "Ha! Looks like some things haven't changed. Still under Shepard, I see."

Unconsciously, Garrus' mandibles began to twitch as he remembered just how 'under her' he'd been during last night's activities and he felt himself moisten beneath his armour in response to his thoughts. The double meaning of the old Krogan's word weren't lost on Shepard either as Garrus found his voice, "What can I say? I'm a creature of habit. Life's too boring if I'm not in the thick of it. Besides, I might get soft if I sat around all day."

Wrex laughed at the Turian's obvious jab as he studied the cybernetic mesh that covered his neck and lower jaw. "And it looks like 'the thick of it' finally caught up with you. What happened?" His race had always respected strength, and judging by the scaring on Garrus' face, it had taken no small amount of strength on the Turian's part to survive whatever had caused it.

"I had a disagreement with a gunship."

"Figures," the Krogan laughed as he slapped Garrus on the back before turning back to Shepard. "Heard you spilled every last drop of Collector blood in a glorious explosion."

Shepard laughed. "You know me, Wrex. I never do anything in half-measures when it comes the saving the galaxy."

"That's an understatement if ever I heard one!" the Clan Leader chuckled. "Makes me glad that you managed to calm me down on Vimire all those years ago."

"That makes two of us, Wrex. You're a good friend. I'd have hated to lose you back then," Kat replied honestly. "So how goes things with uniting the clans?"

"Slow and bloody, but we're making progress."

"Grunt's Rite and initiation into Clan Urdnot has encouraged few more of the female clans to join our ranks and have expressed interest in him for breeding requests," the Shaman spoke from behind Wrex. "Your service under Commander Shepard has served you well, Urdnot Grunt," he told the youngster. "Tales of your adventures have reached our ears since you left, and the female clans await." Turning back to Wrex, the Shaman addressed him, "Thank you for seeing me at such short notice, Clan Leader," before turning and leaving the plateau, gesturing for Grunt to follow. Nodding his head to Shepard and Wrex, Grunt strode after the older krogan. Shepard watched them go with a chuckle.

"So the rumours are true, then," Wrex spoke up after Grunt and the Shaman had vanished from Kat's line-of-sight, causing her to snap her head back to the old krogan.

"Rumours?"

Wrex laughed his gaze locked on she and Garrus. "Grunt's adventures aren't the only things that have reached my ears since you were last here, Shepard. A few Krogans remember seeing a human bearing a Turian's clan mark on the Citadel a few weeks ago, and that that human was the great Commander Shepard."

Shepard could only laugh, trust Wrex to be keeping tabs on them. "Yeah, it's true. We're life partners now."

Wrex nodded his approval. "A better choice that that whiny excuse of a biotic, Alenko, at any rate." Alarm bells started to sound in Garrus' head when Wrex suddenly leaned closer to Shepard. "Although you could always do one better..."

Garrus felt his blood boil at the seductive tone in the old Krogan's voice and it wouldn't be until the red haze clouding his vision dissipated that he realized that the enraged snarl that filled the air had come from him as he loomed over the old krogan, Shepard tightly gripping his arm, doing her best to restrain him from pouncing on the Clan Leader's prone form as she kept her eyes trained on Wrex's guards as they aimed their guns on the enraged Turian. "Watch your damned mouth, _Krogan_!" Garrus, mandibles flared wide and teeth bared, spat the word like it was a curse.

How dare Wrex speak to his mate like she was a common whore that would jump into bed with anyone who came along!

Wrex began to laugh, much to everyone's surprise, as he picked himself up off of the ground, spitting out a globule of blood before signalling his guards to stand down. "You've got a quad, Garrus, I'll give you that." the old Krogan rumbled in obvious delight as he rubbed his jaw. "Not every male would attack a Clan Leader in his home!" Shepard could only shake her head; only a Krogan would take pleasure in facing a teed-off Turian, as Wrex fixed his gaze on her. "Worthy enough, Shepard. Worthy enough," he told the human Spectre before turning away from the pair.

Indignation grew in Garrus as he realized that he'd been played. Some kind of test? He fumed as predatory blues followed Wrex as he lumbered back to his throne and Garrus had to bite back the desire to knock him into the dirt again.

He would never understand Krogans.

Shepard's voice brought him back to reality. "How long will Grunt be allowed to remain in the female camp?"

"A week or two, depending if he gets more breeding requests while he's there. Once I know for sure, I'll send word to the Normandy."

"Thanks, Wrex," she nodded her head and the Urdnot Clan Leader returned the gesture before she turned and strode away from the rocky platform, Garrus matching her stride for stride, his mandibles set tight against his jaw as the sharp and acute shift of his hawk-like eyes zeroed in on every male in the vicinity to warn them off as they made their way back to the Kodiak.

**TBC...**


	11. Chapter 9 Part 2

**Series Title:** After the Reapers  
**Pairing: **Garrus/Shepard

**Author:** Knights-Honour  
**Disclaimer:** Mass Effect universe © BioWare  
Any character you haven't heard of © me 

**Author's Notes:**  
Thanks go to my Beta; Blueglaceon, who despite having little knowledge of the Mass Effect universe, agreed to edit the series anyway. Thanks, Blue!

Here's the conclusion to _Return to Tuchanka_.

**Primal Instincts**

By the time the Kodiak came into view, Garrus had cooled down and was now sneaking glances at Kat to try and measure her mood, but her face remained passive and unreadable, leaving him clueless as to how to proceed. It was in his species nature to be fiercely territorial of their mates, so when Wrex had leaned close to Shepard and murmured those words, challenging his place as her life partner, instinct had taken over and he'd reacted.

For her part, Shepard was also caught up in her thoughts. She had never seen Garrus behave like that before, never seen him so blindly enraged. And while she knew, logically, that she should be yelling at him for attacking Wrex and nearly getting himself shot, she couldn't get the primal image of her Turian standing over the Krogan Battlemaster, his hands curved into claws as he defended his claim to her out of her head.

Of course, she had read about this, that Turian males were prone to react violently to sexual advances from other males, complete with uncontrollable bursts of anger, growling, hissing and, if the challenger didn't back down, bloody battles to determine who was top dog.

But seeing that behaviour in real life... it stirred something inside of her... something primal... something that **wanted** the predator to prove that he was worthy of being her mate...

His husky rumble interrupted her thoughts. "I'm sorry, Shepard. I realize that I was out of line back there," she could tell by his tone of voice that he was still a little riled by Wrex's actions. "But friend or no, he had no right-"

"It's okay, Garrus," she interrupted him as they entered the Kodiak. She made a bee-line for the controls and closed the shuttle's door before turning back to him. He was watching her now, unsure of how to take her understanding attitude. He'd obviously been expecting some form of reprimand for his actions. "I know why you acted the way you did," he shot her a confused look. "You're not the only one who's been doing research," she informed her mate as she took a step closer to him, her voice turning husky as she continued, "I have to be honest with you, Garrus; no one's ever fought for me like that. Not for that reason, at any rate. I'm not used to it. I didn't expect it, and right now I'm as horny as hell because of it that I want to rip your armour off so that you can show me just how a Turian re-stakes his claim over his mate."

Garrus rapidly took a few steps back from her as he struggled to rein in his instincts, which were screaming at him to pounce on her and do just that. "You're playing with fire here, Kat," he warned her.

"I don't think so," she returned, defiantly. "I can take anything you dish out."

"You think you've seen how violent a Turian can be?" he growled, changing tactics and advancing on her, hoping to intimidate her into backing off this dangerous path. "The night I marked you was child's play compared to this. Trust me, Shepard, you've _barely_ scratched the surface."

"So, in other words, you're not man enough to step up to the plate? Pity," she turned away from him. "Maybe I should go and take Wrex up on his offe-"

Garrus' furious roar drowned out the rest of her sentence and suddenly she found herself violently pinned against the Kodiak's slick metal wall, his harsh breaths hot against her skin. "Just remember; you asked for this," he growled in her ear before stepping back just enough so that he could spin her around and then, with brutal efficiency, removed her armour until all that was left was her bodysuit. He paused then, a moment of stillness, closing his eyes as the scent of her arousal reached his nose, and then he was moving again, removing his own armour. He'd just started on his bodysuit, when a movement caught his eye and he growled. Shepard froze, her fingers on the tab of her suit's zipper, as her eyes met his and with a defiant look, she continued her task and pulled the tab all the way down. Another growl came from his throat as his own suit dropped to the ground and then he was on her, claws ripping the fabric from her body. Then, grasping her by the hips, he picked her up and slammed her back against the wall behind them, her cries of pain at the rough treatment were music to his ears, his shaft extending out of him in response as he used his armoured form to pin her against the wall.

"You're _**MINE!**_" he snarled as he violently sheathed his cock inside her, his teeth sinking into her neck as his claws drew blood from her hips and she cried out in response as he began to thrust into her, setting a brutal pace so that all she could do was cling to him, her head lolling back to rest against the shuttle wall, as he dominated her and their coupling and it didn't take long before she felt the familiar fluttering in her body that preceded an orgasm and then she was flying, screaming his name as she came. Her release triggered his, but instead of releasing her as their bodies locked together, like normal, he bit into her neck, hard and vice-like, her flesh muffling his snarls as his seed filled her. He continued to hold her in place, thrusting into her shallowly until, overwhelmed by the sensations he was causing, she passed out.

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

When she came too, the first thing she felt was crisp linen against her skin and a slight chill in the air. With a soft moan, she opened her eyes and was met by the blue bioluminescent glow from her fish tank.

She was back on the Normandy.

Rolling over onto her side, she pushed herself into an upright position, wincing as pain shot through right shoulder. Looking down, she gingerly touched the bite mark, noting that the faintest bloom of a bruise was beginning to appear. She had no doubt that by morning it would be as black as the ace of spades. Turning her attention back to her surroundings, she could see no sign of her mate.

"EDI?" she questioned as she swung her legs over the side of the bed, a flashing datapad on the bedside table catching her attention as she did so, and she picked it up.

'_Kat,_

_Donnelly messaged me, said he was having trouble calibrating the new weapons systems with the ship's power core. _

_Gone to help._

_Garrus._'

"Yes, Shepard?"

"Doesn't matter. I know where he is. Thanks anyway."

"Logging you out."

Sliding out of bed, she made a bee-line for the shower.

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

Stepping out of the elevator, Shepard made her way to the Main Battery.

"Try it now, Engineer Donnelly," she heard Garrus rumble as she entered the room and quietly leaned against the wall to wait, she knew better than to disturb him when he was working on the ship's calibrations.

"That's done the trick. It's back to a stable level now. Thanks, Garrus."

"Not a problem. Garrus out." He powered down the console before turning back to her. "Hey," he purred in greeting as he made his way over to her.

"Hey," she murmured back as she straightened up, resting a hand on his waist as they pressed their foreheads together.

"How're you feeling?"

"A little tender in some parts, but otherwise fine."

She saw him take a breath, and instinctively knew what was coming. "I'm sor-"

"Don't be," she cut him off, "I wouldn't have provoked you the way I did if I didn't think I could handle it."

"Still..."

Kat laughed and changed tactics, "Well, I suppose I could forgive you if you take a break and come and have lunch with me."

"Yes, ma'am," he playfully saluted, before taking her hand and leading them out of room and towards the Mess Hall.

**Fin.**


	12. Chapter 10

**Series Title:** After the Reapers  
**Pairing: **Garrus/Shepard

**Author:** Knights-Honour  
**Disclaimer:** Mass Effect universe © BioWare  
Any character you haven't heard of © me 

**Author's Notes:**  
Thanks go to my Beta; Blueglaceon, who despite having little knowledge of the Mass Effect universe, agreed to edit the series anyway. Thanks, Blue!

This is set a week after _Happiness _and a few days before the first of the Union stories, which I'll be working on next.

**Meeting the Folks**

"Citadel Control, this is Normandy SR-2. Requesting permission to land," Shepard and Garrus could hear Joker's voice as they approached the cockpit.

"_Stand-by for clearance Normandy,_" came the Citadel's response. "_Clearance granted. You may begin your approach. Transferring you to an Alliance operator._"

At that, Joker looked to Shepard, eyebrows raised. "Looks like word has reached the Alliance brass of you cutting ties with Cerberus."

"I'm not surprised. With all the errands I did for Aria to pay for the repairs to the Normandy back on Omega, it was bound to leak back to them and the Council."

"_Normandy, this is Alliance tower. Please proceed to dock eighty-five._"

"Roger, Alliance tower. Normandy out."

"If word got back to them, think they'll finally accept that the Reapers are real?" Garrus questioned his mate.

"Like I said before; I'm not holding..." Shepard suddenly trailed off as one of the ships they were passing on their way into dock caught her eye. "EDI, what's the name of dreadnaught we're passing?"

"It is SSV Orizaba, Commander," EDI responded, confirming her suspicions.

Shepard said nothing as she made her way over to the window, watching the dreadnaught as they passed it. She remembered hearing a news broadcast in her travels, though exactly where was hazy, about her mother; that Hannah Shepard had turned down a promotion to Admiral, believing that serving as a Captain of a star-ship honoured her daughter's memory better. And then there was the e-mail that she'd sent to her daughter once she'd heard, second–hand, that her child was alive...

"Kat?"

Shepard didn't respond, still wrapped up in her thoughts as she continued to stare out the window as the Orizaba disappeared from sight.

"The SSV Orizaba is the ship that the Commander's mother is currently commanding officer of," EDI informed the Normandy's Gunnery Officer in lieu of Shepard's silence.

"Thank you, EDI," Garrus rumbled as he continued watch his mate.

"You okay, Commander?" Joker queried.

"I'm fine," Shepard replied as she turned back to the pilot. "Take us in, Joker."

"Aye, aye, ma'am."

"EDI, can you alert the entire crew that there's a meeting in the CIC after we've docked, please? I've got a few announcements that I want to make before everyone disembarks."

"Messages away. Enjoy your shore leave, Commander. I will keep you up-to-date with the progress of the last of the Normandy's repairs."

"Thank you, EDI. Make sure you have some downtime of your own, too, you hear? You're a member of this crew as well."

"I will try."

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

"What do you mean you can't tell me anymore?" Hannah Shepard demanded.

"Just that, Hannah," David Anderson did his best to placate his old friend. "That's all Shepard told us when she was here."

Hannah started to pace, a mixture of worry, despair and helplessness blooming on her features, and that tipped the human Councillor off.

"You've heard from her?"

"A week ago. She sent me an e-mail, said that she was a few hours away from heading through the Omega-4 relay."

"The Omega-4 relay?" Anderson questioned in shock, but before he could ask any more, a turian C-Sec officer entered the room.

"Councillor Anderson," the turian snapped to attention.

"At ease, Sergeant Haron." Anderson returned the salute.

"I apologise for interrupting, sir. But Captain Bailey thought you'd like to know that the Normandy has just arrived, and is in the process of docking as we speak."

"Whereabouts, Sergeant?" Hannah asked immediately.

"Dock eighty-five, ma'am."

Without saying another word, Hannah Shepard left the room.

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

The crew were talking amongst themselves when Shepard stepped off of the elevator and into the CIC. As she stepped up onto the Galaxy Map, she noted that the majority of them were in casuals, eager and ready for their shore leave to begin. She didn't blame them, though, after the ordeal that the Collectors had put them through; they _deserved_ the week-long break they were getting. Clearing her throat, she addressed the crowd. "Our fight against the Collectors wasn't easy, but things are about to get a whole lot worse. And taking in to consideration that we've cut ties with Cerberus, I wouldn't be doing my job as your commanding officer if I didn't say the following. For those of you who no longer wish to serve on the Normandy, you may leave when we dock and there will be no incriminations or reputations for doing s-"

"Are you trying to get rid of us, Commander?" the thick Scottish accent of Kenneth Donnelly interrupted her speech as the Engineer stepped forward. "Because I know that I speak for the entire crew when I say we're not going anywhere. You'll need the best manning the Normandy if we're going to have any chance of coming out of this thing alive."

"We agree with Engineer Donnelly," Legion spoke up. "The Old Machines arrival is imminent. To disband our unit now would be counter-productive."

"Not to mention that you've already proven that you'll go to Hell and back for us when we're in danger. What more can a crew ask of their CO?"

Shepard felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders as she swallowed the lump that had formed her throat. "In that case, there's just one other announcement I'd like to make," her eyes sought Garrus' as the Turian came to stand by her side. "Garrus and I are to become life partners," Shepard smiled when saw Tali clasp her hands together in joy as the rest of the crew offered their congratulations to the betrothed couple. Waiting until everyone had quietened down again, she continued on. "We intend to have the ceremony preformed while we're on the Citadel and we'd like it if you'd all attend the celebrations. And with that said, everyone's dismissed. Enjoy your shore leave."

It didn't take long for the crew to filter out of the room until just she and Garrus remained. Stepping down from the Galaxy Map, she wrapped her beau up in a hug for a few moments. When Shepard drew back, she regarded her soon-to-be husband tenderly. "So, what's our first step?"

Garrus had just opened his mouth to respond when a voice spoke up from behind them.

"Kathryn?"

Shepard stepped around Garrus to find Hannah Shepard standing a few feet from them. "Mom?"

Wordlessly, the two women strode towards each other and wrapped each other in a tight hug. "My baby girl..." Hannah whispered as mother and daughter clung to each other, tears flowing freely. They remained that way for what seemed like hours, drawing comfort from the fact that they were together again.

Eventually, the Shepard matriarch drew back. "I hear congratulations are in order," she commented, looking from her daughter to the Turian behind her and back again.

Shepard blushed as she wiped her own tears away with the palm of her hand as she turned to Garrus and gestured for him to join them. The Turian observed, as he came to stand by his mate's side, that mother and daughter were the splitting image of each other, though Hannah's eyes were brown and she had a few grey hairs streaking through her ebony locks.

"Mom, this is Garrus Vakarian. Garrus, my mother, Hannah Shepard."

Garrus held out a hand. "It's an honour to meet you, Captain."

Hannah regarded him silently for a moment, and Garrus began to feel uneasy. Had he done the wrong thing? He knew that handshakes were how humans often greeted one another. But then, Hannah smiled, stepped forward and wrapped him up in a hug. Garrus froze, stunned and unsure of how to respond as beside him, Shepard covered her mile wide grin with her hand as she struggled to keep herself from laughing out loud at the expression on his face.

"Call me Hannah," she chided him when she drew back. "We'll be family before long. And it's a pleasure to finally meet you as well."

"Finally?" Garrus repeated.

"Mmmhmmm," Hannah responded cryptically, stirring his curiosity. Had Shepard been talking about him with her mother? "And on that note, it would seem that we've got a lot to catch up on." Hannah addressed the pair, bringing Garrus' attention back to the present. "Care to join me for lunch on the Presidium?"

Shepard looked to Garrus, who nodded his head, before. "Lead the way."

Smiling and chatting, the three made their way towards the Normandy's airlock.

**Fin.**


	13. Chapter 11 Part 1

**Author's Notes:**  
Thanks go to my Beta; Blueglaceon, who despite having little knowledge of the Mass Effect universe, agreed to edit the series anyway. Thanks, Blue!

**Previously on **_**Reapers**_**:**

_"I'm not ashamed about being with you, Garrus," she told him firmly as he began to clean the wounds on her hips and thighs and the chaffing between her legs. "And anyone who objects can go and shove their opinions where the sun don't shine, because I plan on being with you for the rest of my life."_

At her words, Garrus froze, his eyes snapping to hers. Though they'd only been together for a week, he knew in himself that Kat was the one for him, but he had ever only dared to hope that he would hear those words from her, especially so soon…

"Garrus? You okay?" Worried, she reached out to touch him.

Finding his voice, "Are you sure, Kat? Not everyone will approve of this..." He gestured between them.

Shepard shot him a look of affection, before shaking her head. "Weren't you listening to what I just said?"

Resolved, he took a deep breath. "I know we haven't been together very long, but... Will you enter Union with me, Kat? Will you become my life partner?"

With a tender smile, she whispered, "Yes," as Garrus gathered her up in his arms and lowered his forehead to hers. "I love you, Kathryn Shepard."

"And I, you, Garrus Vakarian."

**Union - Ceremony**

Shepard stood in front of a floor length mirror as she fussed with the garb she was wearing.

In half an hour's time, she and Garrus would be bonded for life.

And she couldn't wait.

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

The Presidium looked beautiful, though Garrus observed as he stood with Cyrus, the Turian priest that would be performing their ceremony, that some of the scars from Sovereign's attack still remained, marring the pristine landscape, serving as a reminder to him, and to all those present, of the ominous threat that was looming over everyone's heads.

Letting out as sigh, Garrus shook his head to banish the ill thoughts swarming in his mind and tried to steer them to a more positive frame of mind.

Today was his wedding day, after all!

A sudden lull in noise from the crew drew Garrus back to the present, and he looked up just as Shepard appeared on the open balcony, arm in arm with her mother and the Turian's breath caught in his throat when he saw what she was garbed in; the traditional Union attire of his race!

It had been altered of course, to fit her frame, and she had chosen the traditional colours of her kind: white with gold trimmings, beige pants and brown boots, but the design was unmistakable and Garrus found himself swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat as he realised just how lucky he was to have this remarkable woman in his life.

When the two women drew level with him, Hannah placed her daughter's hands into his white gloved ones, before looking at him. '_She's yours now,_' her brown eyes told him silently. '_Take care of her._'

Garrus nodded his head imperceptivity and Hannah smiled at him before taking her place in the crowd.

"Hey," Shepard whispered softly to him.

"Hey yourself," he whispered back. "You look beautiful."

She blushed and ducked her head, the white hood she was wearing obscuring her face. "You don't look so bad yourself," he heard her murmur. His attire had a distinctive human look about it: white collar, black jacket-like type top with white and silver trimmings, light grey pants and white boots.

"Ready to get started?" Cyrus asked Garrus and the younger male nodded his head as the crowd around them grew silent again.

"Greetings friends and family and welcome to this day of celebration," Cyrus began. "We are united to witness the Union of Garrus and Kathryn. We've been invited to share in the commitment they make to each other today. They ask for your blessing on this joyful occasion. If life has any meaning to us at all, it possesses it because of love. Love enriches our lives experience. It is the reason for the peace in the family and the peace of the peoples of the galaxy. A meeting between two beings who are made for each other is a beautiful miracle."

Cyrus looked at the crew. "We are here not only strengthen the binds of Garrus and Kathryn's love for each other but also to bring family and friends together to celebrate these same said bonds that hold us all together. What defines Garrus and Kathryn's love today will change and grow to new depth in the future. It takes three seconds to say I love you, but it can take a lifetime to show it. This ceremony is the celebration of a single stage in a much larger process that is the love between two life partners. The promises made today and the ties that are bound here greatly strengthen your Union. They will cross the years and lives of each soul's growth."

Looking back at the couple before him. "Do you seek to begin this ceremony?" the Turian priest inquired.

"We do," came the unanimous response.

"The soul shares characteristics with all things divine. It is this belief which assigns virtues to the cardinal directions; North, South, East and West. Let us offer a traditional blessing in support of this hand-fasting ceremony. Blessed be this Union with the gifts of the East: communication of the heart, mind, and body, fresh beginnings with the rising of each sun, and the knowledge of growth found in the sharing of silence. Blessed be this Union with the gifts of the South: warmth of hearth and home, the heat of the heart's passion and the light created by both to lighten the darkest of times."

"Blessed be this Union with the gifts of the West: the deep commitments of the lake, the swift excitement of the river, the refreshing cleansing of the rain and the all encompassing passion of the sea.

"Blessed be this Union with the gifts of the North: firm foundation on which to build, fertility of the fields to enrich your lives, and a stable home to which you may always return. Now I ask the couple to look into each others' eyes."

Garrus and Shepard did as they were asked, as Cyrus began, addressing the couple alternately with each question, starting with Garrus. "Will you cause her pain?"

"I may."

"Is that your intention?"

"No."

"Will you cause him pain?"

"I may."

"Is that your intention?"

"No."

"Will you share each other's pain and seek to ease it?"

"Yes," the couple answered together.

"And so the binding is made."

At Cyrus' words Hannah stepped forward to drape the first cord across the couple's joined hands.

"Will you share his laughter?"

"Yes."

"Will you share her laughter?"

"Yes."

"Will both of you look for the brightness in life and the positive in each other?"

"Yes," again, they spoke collectively.

"And so the binding is made."

Tali moved to lay the second chord.

"Will you burden him?"

"I may."

"Is that your intention?"

"No."

"Will you burden her?"

"I may."

"Is that your intention?"

"No."

"Will you share the burdens of each so that your spirits may grow in this Union?"

"Yes," they responded as one.

"And so the binding is made."

Joker limped toward the couple, placing the third chord over their hands.

"Will you share his dreams?"

"Yes."

"Will you share her dreams?"

"Yes."

"Will you dream together to create new shared realities?"

"Yes."

"And so the binding is made."

Miranda moved next, laying down the forth chord.

"Will you cause her anger?"

"I may."

"Is that your intention?"

"No.

"Will you cause him anger?"

"I may."

"Is that your intention?"

"No."

"Will you take the heat of anger and use it to temper the strength of this Union?"

"We will."

"And so the binding is made."

Then came Mordin with the fifth chord.

"Will you honour him?"

"I will."

"Will you honour her?"

"I will."

"Will you seek to never give cause to break that honour?"

"We shall never do so."

"And so the binding is made."

Chakwas stepped up to place the sixth and final cord across the couple's hands, and as she returned to the crowd, Cyrus tied all the chords together whilst saying. "The knots of this binding are not formed by these chords but instead by your vows. Either of you may drop the chords, for always you will hold in your own hands the making or breaking of this Union."

With a slice of his claws, and being mindful of Shepard's more fragile skin, Cyrus cut the chords loose and they dropped to the ground, before the priest spoke one final time. "Spirit of love, may Garrus and Kathryn know great love together, and may they live in the desire to always support each other in positive and uplifting ways. May they strengthen one another in sorrow, share with one another in gladness, and be companions to each other in times of silence. May their home be a haven, and wherever they are plagued by changing fortune, may they be united not in word and outward form alone, but by the presence in the hearts of each, of the deepening love they share. You are life partners."

With tender expressions, the newly bonded couple leaned in to press their foreheads together for a few moments. But then Garrus drew back slightly, one of his hands sliding under Shepard's chin to tilt her head upwards, the movement causing her hood to slide back off of her head, before he cupped her cheek and lowered his head to kiss her. Surprised, she stood stock still for a moment, before she began to respond in earnest as rose petals began to rain down on them as the crew cheered and applauded.

When the need for air grew immanent, they parted and Shepard smiled up at him. "Thank you."

Garrus smiled back, he knew that she was not just referring to the kiss that they had shared, before lowering his head again to nuzzle her neck. "Thank _you_,_" _he rumbled in return, which she, in turn, smiled knowingly about.

"Now, come on. The night is young and we've barely gotten started. It's time to celebrate!"

"Lead the way, husband," Shepard purred at him, linking her arm in his, as they, and the Normandy's crew, headed to their next location.

**TBC...**


	14. Chapter 11 Part 2

**Author's Notes:**  
Thanks go to my Beta; Blueglaceon, who despite having little knowledge of the Mass Effect universe, agreed to edit the series anyway. Thanks, Blue!

_Reception_ takes place a few hours after _Ceremony._

**Union – Reception**

"Here's to Garrus and Shepard," Chakwas toasted, raising a glass of red wine at the newly bonded couple and the rest of the crew followed her example. "May you have a long and happy life together!"

"To Garrus and Shepard!" the crew echoed as Shepard snuggled closer to Garrus, closing her eyes and basking in these precious moments of peace with the man that she loved as their meals were brought to them.

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

Garrus hesitated a little at what Shepard was asking of him, "Turians don't dance all that well, Kat," he rumbled. "Our time at Flux two years ago should be all the reminder you need of that fact."

"Oh, ye of little faith," Shepard laughed, before, "Please?" she implored him.

Unable to deny her something that was a tradition to her race's marital celebrations, Garrus took her offered hand and rose from his seat, following her out onto the dance floor.

~_I've met the darkness,  
Been held by the night,  
Lonely was there in my arms,  
I've been with broken,  
I've stared in her eyes,  
Emptiness left me this scarred,~_

Shepard turned to face him once they'd chosen a spot, and snuggled up to him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

~_But I heard your voice,  
Calling me out of the cold,_~

As his hands settled on her waist and they began to sway to the music, slowly pivoting on the spot, Garrus couldn't help but purr as he recognised that she had compensated his kind's lack of dancing ability by choosing this particular dance, called a slow dance by her race, so that they could both enjoy this moment while it lasted.

~_And now I can live again,  
I have been chosen to run with the wind,  
I can go higher I know I will soar,  
I'm taller, I'm stronger, I'm better than before, _

_I've walked through fire so I could become,  
All that you said I could be,  
And now my breath has a reason,  
My sky has a sun,  
'Cause in you I've found all that I need,_~

Your touch revived me,  
It was your love that opened my eyes,

And now I can live again,  
I have been chosen to run with the wind,  
I can go higher I know I will soar,  
I'm taller, I'm stronger, I'm better than before,

Because I broke through the rain,  
Stood through the storm,  
Now I know I remain,  
And I can do the impossible,  
I can reach the unreachable,  
It's my time,  
I will rise and live,

And I can go higher I know I will soar,  
I'm taller I'm stronger I'm better than before,

And now I can live again,  
I have been chosen to run with the wind,  
I can go higher I know I will soar,  
I'm taller, I'm stronger, I'm better than before.

Lowering his head to hers, the couple shared a kiss, to the applause of the Normandy's crew, before they turned and left the dance floor.

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

"Garrus? Is that you?"

Garrus turned his head to see a dark skinned Turian male, bearing the same blue clan markings as he, approaching him.

"Octavious?"

With a grin, the newly-bonded Turian greeted his clan brother with a rough handshake and a slap on the back.

"How long have you been back?" Octavious asked when he drew back.

"Only a couple of days. We're on shore leave."

"Shore leave? You're serving on a ship again? "

Garrus nodded. "The Normandy."

"The Normandy?"

"She was rebuilt," Garrus explained at his friend's puzzled expression. "I only found out myself when Shepard came recruiting and found me on Omega. I've been serving on her squad ever since."

"Just like old times," Octavious laughed. "Well, since we're here, what say we grab a couple of ales and catch up?"

"Ah, perhaps another time?"

Octavious quirked his head at his friend's reluctance; it wasn't like Garrus to turn down a drink. But then he took notice of how his friend was dressed, which despite the changes, was instantly recognisable. "You crafty old raptor!" Octavious exclaimed. "Who's the lucky girl?"

"Garrus?"

The two males turned to see Shepard approaching them, coming to a stop when she reached her mate. "Hey," she greeted him softly.

"Hey," he murmured back, nuzzling her.

"I was wondering where you'd gotten to."

"I was just on my way to get us another drink when I ran into an old friend," he explained as Shepard turned to look at Octavious. "Kat, I'd like you to meet Octavious Actus, he and I grew up together on Macedyn. Octavious, this is Shepard, my mate."

Octavious was stunned for a moment, looking at the couple agape, but then he began to chuckle. "A rebel through and through, Garrus," the older Turian slapped Garrus on the back again. "Old Titus will have a fit when he finds out about this, that's for sure. But, you, the both of you, have my congratulations."

"Thank you, my friend," Garrus rumbled as Shepard echoed his words.

"And on that note, I'll leave you two to your celebrations. Perhaps another day?"

Garrus nodded. "Count on it."

Returning the gesture, Octavious left the couple's presence and headed over to the bar.

"C'mon you," Shepard tugged at her Turian's hand, and he followed her back to their seats. "I thought you said that you grew up on Palaven?" she queried him as he took a seat and she settled herself on his lap, her arms snaking around his neck.

"I did, we moved to Palaven just after Solana was born," Garrus rumbled, his own hands finding their way to her hips. "But Macedyn is where I'm originally from."

"Will you tell me about it?"

"Macedyn?"

"Mmmhmmm," she murmured as she snuggled into him.

"What do you want to know?" he questioned as he began to stroke her back.

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

Shepard felt her eyelids droop as she yawned, struggling to stay awake, as beside her, her mate chuckled at as he watched the battle for a moment before leaning down to nuzzle her. "Ready to get out of here?"

"Mmmhmmmm," she nodded against his chest

He paused for a moment, then, "Do you trust me?"

Shepard opened her eyes at his words, her green gaze scanning his predatory blues for any sign as to what had prompted him to ask such a question. "You know I do, Garrus."

"Good," her vision was suddenly obscured by something black. "Because I've got one last surprise for you," he purred as he took her hands in his and began to lead her somewhere, saying their farewells to the crew as they passed.

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"Kat!" the Turian's exasperated tone caused Shepard to smile as they came to a stop and she felt him fumble for something, probably a key-card, and her thoughts were proven correct when she heard the familiar _swoosh_ of a door opening. Shepard yelped slightly when Garrus picked her up, bridal style and made his way inside and then gently setting her back on her feet. She felt him tugging on her blindfold as he undid it and then felt the material give way and flutter to the ground.

Shepard could only gasp as she took in the room around them. "Oh, Garrus..."

**TBC...**

**Song's Used:**

"Taller, Stronger, Better" by Guy Sebastian


	15. Chapter 11 Part 3

**Author's Notes:**  
Thanks go to my Beta; Blueglaceon, who despite having little knowledge of the Mass Effect universe, agreed to edit the series anyway. Thanks, Blue!

_First Night_ takes place immediately after _Reception_.

**Union – First Night**

"Oh, Garrus..." Shepard felt her eyes prick with tears as she took in the room around her. "It's beautiful."

"And it's all ours," Garrus purred in her ear as he rested his hands on her shoulders.

"Ours?" she questioned, awestruck, as she turned her head to look at him.

"Other than the Normandy, we don't really have a place to call home. So..." He gestured around them.

A lump formed in Shepard's throat, incapacitating her of her ability to speak, so she had to resort to other means to show him what she was feeling. Turning to him, she wrapped her arms around her beau.

"We do have one other place to call home, though," she whispered after a moment.

Garrus drew back a little. "Oh?"

"Intai'sei," she said simply.

"The apartment you won at Pinnacle Station? It's still yours?"

"Last I checked it was."

Garrus chuckled as he leaned down to press his forehead to hers, taking in a deep breath, inhaling her soothing scent. Part of him still couldn't believe that this was happening, that for once in his life something was going right.

Eventually Shepard drew back. "Where's the bathroom?"

Garrus took her by the hand and led her through the apartment, coming to a stop outside the bedroom, where she shot him a confused look. "Ensuite," he explained. "Your mother dropped off a bag of stuff for you before the ceremony, it's on the bed."

With a smile, Shepard made her way inside, but when Garrus didn't follow she turned back to look at him. "You're not coming?"

"I just need to check something first, and then I'll join you."

"Alright," she retreated into the room, leaving Garrus alone.

With an uneasy feeling, the Turian turned and made a bee-line for the computer.

The mention of his baby sister earlier in the evening had reminded him that his mother was due for another round of treatment for her illness today, and that he had yet to check in with Solana to find out how it had gone. Taking a seat, he logged into his e-mail account, where a message from Palaven was waiting for him.

Preparing himself, he opened the message.

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

Fifteen minutes later found him seated, bare-chested and bootless, in an armchair in front of the fireplace, his skin and plating absorbing the heat the blazing fire was giving off. But inside, his thoughts were a turmoiled wreck.

Solana's news had been grim: their mother's condition was getting worse.

'_The Doctor's say that she hasn't got long left,_' he closed his eyes as he recalled the message clearly in his mind's eye. '_That her Corpalis was already too far along by the time we started the Salarian's treatment. That all we can do now is to make sure she's comfortable until she passes..._'

"Garrus?" Shepard's voice interrupted his thoughts, his eyes snapping open as he was startled back into reality to find his mate standing in front of him, dressed in a white, spaghetti strapped, thigh length, silk nightgown, and he felt his protective folds moisten as he noticed the way the material clung to her curves like a second skin as she stepped between his outstretched legs.

"Hey," he murmured.

"Hey," she murmured back. "Everything okay?"

Clearing his head of all the unpleasant thoughts, he smiled up at her, giving her his full attention as he leaned forward and rested his hands on her hips. "Everything's fine."

She could tell that something was on his mind, that there was something he wasn't telling her, but she didn't push; she knew he'd tell her when he was ready. Instead she climbed into his lap. His hands moved from her hips to slip under the fabric to rest on her thighs as she straddled him and he buried his face in the crook of her neck as she slid her hands around his neck, the scent of her arousal reached his nose, stirring him into action.

He stroke his roughened tongue across the sensitive column of her throat, laving it with his saliva, and Shepard moaned as she tilted her head back, giving him full access to her neck, her skin breaking out in goose-flesh as he continued his attentions. He rewarded her act of submission by gently nibbling her skin, and she moaned again as he continued to arouse her.

Garrus couldn't help but purr at her whole-hearted reactions to his attentions. He was no longer the unsure and inexperienced male he had been the night of their first coupling. The nights of exploration they'd shared since they'd returned from the suicide mission had made him a master of her body.

And he intended to use that knowledge to make this night a memorable occasion for the both of them.

Sliding his hands along her slender legs, he grasped her hips, being mindful not to pierce her warm and pliable flesh, and pulled her form flush against his and she began to grind against him, rousing his turian-hood and earning a groan from him as he raised his head to nuzzle her cheek.

"Love you," she murmured as she tilted her head so that she could kiss him.

"I love you too," he purred in return as he claimed her lips.

The kiss soon took on a life of its own as their hands came into play, caressing erogenous zones and removing the last pieces of clothing from their bodies. He couldn't help but purr as Shepard settled above him, her legs resting on the armrests of the chair, giving him an unrestricted view of her glistening folds. "Spirit's Kat, you are _beautiful_..." he purred ardently as he continued to ogle her body, his shaft extended out of him in preparation of their union.

Shepard blushed as she guided his member to her entrance and then slowly sank onto him until he was buried to the hilt within her.

They both paused, resting their foreheads together as they savoured the moment; the beginning of their life together. Their path wouldn't be easy one, and they both knew that. There would always be those who would oppose their Union. But, no matter the opposition, they would face it together.

They began to move together, then, in the age old pleasure motion, their moans, groans and purrs spurring their dance of passion onward and it wasn't long before they were on the precipice of their climax. Shepard moaned as she felt Garrus swell within her in preparation. But when he made a move to bite her, she stopped him with a hand on his muzzle, which confused him. But then she leaned down and bit into the left side of his neck as hard as she could, hoping that her omnivorous teeth would be able to break though his tough skin and leave her bond mark on him as they continued to come together. It didn't take before her orgasm claimed her, and as she flew into ecstasy, she tasted the fruits of her effort, his blood leaving a bitter taste on her tongue. Her action's triggered his release and as his member locked itself in her rippling channel, she released his neck to cry out his name as his seed flooded her feminine core and he bit down into her neck, re-marking her, completing the bond marking ritual as their combined release overflowed and began to trickle out of her. He continued to hold her in place with his teeth, purring softly and soothingly, as they came down from their high.

When some semblance of mind returned, Garrus released his hold on her and slumped back into the chair.

"You shouldn't have done that," he rumbled, when his ability to speak returned, in a worried tone-of-voice as he watched her wipe her mouth on her arm, his blood smearing her skin blue, "You could have had an allergic reaction to my blood."

"I'm fine," she assured him. "I've been taking a course of immunotherapy to bolster my immune system.

"Since when?"

"Since Omega. After he realised that we were getting serious about our relationship, Mordin called me down to the Lab while we were patching up the Normandy."

Garrus was gobsmacked and didn't know how to respond to his mate's revelation, yet another sign of her acceptance of who and what the man that she loved was, but she saved him the trouble when she yawned widely before snuggling up to him, basking in the afterglow of their love-making.

"I know I said it before," she murmured softly after a time of silence. "But, thank you."

"For what?" he rumbled back.

"For everything you did today to show your acceptance of me becoming your life partner, from altering your outfit to include human elements in its design to partaking in the first dance, even though Turians don't dance all that well."

"I owe you that same gratitude as well, Kat. You chose to wear traditional Turian ceremonial wear and to partake in a Turian Union ceremony."

"You have to give and take for a relationship to work..." she murmured sleepily as her eyes fluttered shut and she drifted off.

Purring in contentment, Garrus nestled into the chair, softly stroking Shepard's back until sleep claimed him as well.

**Fin.**


	16. Chapter 12

**Series Title:** After the Reapers  
**Pairing: **Garrus/Shepard

**Author:** Knights-Honour  
**Disclaimer:** Mass Effect universe © BioWare  
Any character you haven't heard of © me 

**Author's Notes:**  
Thanks go to my Beta; Blueglaceon, who despite having little knowledge of the Mass Effect universe, agreed to edit the series anyway. Thanks, Blue!

_Remembering the Fallen_ takes place after Tali's recruitment mission.

Needless to say, Horizon has also taken place by this point, as well as Kaidan's whole "I love you, but your working for the enemy" spiel, so Shepard's just starting to realise that Garrus could be a potential romantic interest for her and vice-versa.

**Remembering the Fallen**

_From: Admiral Hackett  
_

_Commander Shepard:  
_

_Our scans in the Amada system have turned up something we thought you should see: the final location of the wreckage of the SSV Normandy.  
_

_We thought this news might be important to you, but we also have an ulterior motive. The __Alliance__ would like to honour the Normandy with a monument, to be built on the site of the ship's final resting place. We'd like to invite you to place the monument and be the first to walk on the site._

There are still 20 crew members unaccounted for from the attack on the Normandy. If you find any signs of these lost crewman, we ask that you report to the Alliance so that those heroes' families might find some closure.

Godspeed to you, Commander.

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

"Launch probe," Shepard ordered from her perch atop the Galaxy Map.

"Probe away," EDI responded, pausing for a moment before, "Scans confirm the wreckage of SSV Normandy is on the planet's surface. No life signs or mechanical activity detected. There is also a stable landing zone located amid the crash site."

"Thanks, EDI," Shepard thanked the AI. "Normandy's yours, Joker."

"_Aye, aye, Commander. Give her my final respects,_" came the pilot's response as Shepard stepped into the elevator and sent it on its way down to the Hanger, where she found Garrus, Tali and Jacob waiting for her.

The young Quarian had joined their ranks a week ago, after Shepard, Garrus and Grunt had come to her aid on Haestrom, and the human Spectre was glad to have another familiar face on board.

So when Admiral Hackett had contacted her a few days ago with news of the original Normandy's final resting place, she'd pulled them both aside after dinner one night to ask if they wanted to assist her in placing the monument. Needless to say they'd both jumped at the chance.

"We good to go, Commander?" the Cerberus soldier's voice broke the commander from her thoughts.

"We are," Shepard replied as the four of them entered the Kodiak. "EDI couldn't detect any hostiles on the surface," the CO told her companions as Jacob fired up the shuttle's engines. "So we can collect the missing dog tags, lay the monument and pay our respects without the fear of attack."

The Quarian and the Turian nodded their heads as the Kodiak lifted off and left the Normandy's Hanger.

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

Alchera's landscape was cold and desolate as the three companions stepped out of the shuttle, taking in the wreckage of the once state-of-the-art warship, as around them the snow began to thicken, causing Shepard to turn to Garrus.

"_You sure you'll be okay in this?_" she questioned over the com.

"_So long as we don't take too long_," the Turian responded.

"_Shepard,_" Tali's voice entered the conversation. "_I think I've found the first of your 'dog tags'._"

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

Splitting up, they explored the wreckage as they searched, the occasional sound of shattering wood reaching each other's ears as one of them broke open a fragile create. Tali had even found Navigator Pressley's data pad, with a few, relatively, intact entries on it.

Shepard was at the Mess Hall, a flashback of Ashley in her mind's eye, when:

"_Shepard,_" Garrus' tone of voice was urgent. "_Come quick!_"

Heart in her throat, the human raced over to Garrus' location, drawing her shotgun on instinct as she moved.

Upon seeing Shepard with weapon in hand, the Turian tensed. "_Trouble?_"

"_You tell me._"

He shook his head before presenting something to her. "_Look what I found,_" he rumbled.

In his hand was her old N7 helmet.

"_My helmet,_" she murmured softly as she stowed her gun and accepted it from the Turian.

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

With the dog tags found, they erected the gold monument in front of the still intact Mako ("_Want to take her for a spin?_" "**NO!**" "..._Spoilsports..._") Stepping back, Shepard placed a hand over her heart as she recited a verse that was deeply ingrained in her mind and memory.

"_They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:_

_Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn._

_At the going down of the sun and in the morning,_

_We will remember them._

_Lest we forget._"

After a few more moments of silence, the three turned and made their way back to the waiting shuttle.

"_What was that?_" Garrus queried Shepard as they re-entered the Kodiak.

"_What was what?_" the human returned as she took a seat.

"_What you said back there._"

"_It's called the_ Ode of Remembrance." Shepard explained as she removed her helmet, and Garrus followed suit, as the shuttle hummed to life. "It's a verse taken from Laurence Binyon's poem _For the Fallen_. It's usually recited at remembrance services, like Anzac Day, to remember the fallen."

"Anzac? Aren't those the biscuits you like? Why would your race name a military remembrance day after a snack-"

Shepard's laughter drowned out the rest of the Turian's words, leaving her two alien companions bewildered.

"Anzac is an acronym for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, a military corps formed on Earth during the First World War in 1915," the human explained when she'd calmed down. "The Anzacs were renowned, world over, for their ideals: endurance, courage, ingenuity, good humour, larrikinism, and mateship. That same legacy runs through my veins as well," she finished softly, earning a curious quirk of the head from the Turian. "My father was a Digger, as was my grandfather before him," she explained.

"Thank you," Garrus rumbled softly, treasuring the revelation.

She smiled warmly in response as the Kodiak left Alchera's atmosphere.

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

_From: Admiral Hackett  
_

_Commander Shepard:  
_

_The Alliance was grateful to receive the information you found at the Normandy's crash site, and we've sent it out to the affected families. By finding those dog tags, you provided peace of mind for a lot of people, Commander. _

_I thank you on their behalf._

**Fin.**


	17. Chapter 13 Part 1

**Series Title:** After the Reapers  
**Pairing: **Garrus/Shepard

**Author:** Knights-Honour  
**Disclaimer:** Mass Effect universe © BioWare  
Any character you haven't heard of © me 

**Author's Notes:**  
Thanks go to my Beta; Blueglaceon, who despite having little knowledge of the Mass Effect universe, agreed to edit the series anyway. Thanks, Blue!

The _Moments _series is set after the _Union_ series and is Garrus and Kat's honeymoon.

**Moments of Stillness – Morning's Glory**

Morning light filtered into the bedroom of one of the Citadel's many apartments, stirring one of the two occupants cuddled up in the queen sized bed.

The Turian yawned widely as he awoke, stretching out his stiff limbs. His actions caused his mate, a human, to stir briefly and she rolled over, snuggling into his side before settling down and drifting off again. The Turian smiled as he took in a deep breath and he purred with arousal as he exhaled; he could still smell himself on her skin, both inside and out, from their activities the night before and it excited him, his protective folds moistening in response.

But he reined in his desires and let her have this much deserved lie-in. He knew, better than anyone, that sleep-ins were a rare occurrence for the great Commander Shepard, especially when aboard the Normandy.

So he let her rest, purring contently as he watched her sleep, stroking her back as he reminisced on all that had transpired the previous day.

He was a married man now, and he didn't hesitate to use the human term for their union, something that, because of his 'bad Turian' reputation, he'd never expected to happen in his lifetime. And though he didn't know what he'd done to deserve to have such an incredible woman. A woman that accepted him, flaws and all, for what he was, in his life, he thanked the Spirits everyday for the blessing that had been bestowed on him the day she had entered it.

'_And speaking of acceptance..._'

The Turian raised a tri-fingered hand to the left side of his neck, seeking out the source of the dried blood that coated his skin; the bite that Shepard had given him during their first coupling of the night. He'd awoken three quarters of an hour later, as his turian-hood had receded from her body, and they'd relocated to the bedroom for a few more rounds, the baser instinct to impregnate his mate driving his actions. And every time they'd come together, Shepard had re-marked him, trying to make the resulting scars more visible to the outside world.

His bond mark.

He couldn't help but purr at the thought as his questing fingers found what they were seeking; four small punctures. The most unique bond mark in the history of the ritual, and he was proud to bear it. Locating each scab, he re-pierced the wounds with his claws, aiding Shepard's desire to show the world that he was hers.

Task completed, Garrus Vakarian settled back down, nuzzling closer to Shepard as he drifted off again, savouring these precious moments of stillness with the woman that he loved.

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

An hour later, roused by the call of nature, Shepard stirred. Carefully extracting herself from her mate's arms, she made a bee-line for the bathroom to relieve herself. When she returned, she found Garrus sitting up in bed, wide awake and accessing the morning's news via omni-tool.

"Hey," he murmured in greeting, his eyes not leaving the newsreel he was reading, as she slid back into bed.

"Hey," she murmured back as she straddled his slender waist, earning a chuckle, and his undivided attention, from her mate when she started to grind herself against him.

"Frisky, are we?" he purred as he deactivated his omni-tool and raised his legs off of the bed to get comfortable.

"Mmmhmm," she hummed as she braced a hand on the front of his neck ridge and leaned down to kiss him and Garrus responded eagerly. But as he became more and more engrossed in their lip-lock, he failed to notice Shepard's remaining hand as it trailed a path down his body to his groin. But when her fingers slipped under the lips of his protective folds to stroke the head of his burgeoning shaft, he took notice, falling back to the bed, groaning as her caresses roused his member, causing it to push past the moistened folds and into Shepard's waiting hand. The Turian could only groan again as she continued to stroke his emerging shaft in all the right ways until it was fully exposed, throbbing and ready to go.

But when he saw her position herself above him, he tensed. He had never taken her without her being thoroughly prepared for his penetration first and because his phallus was easily double the size to that of a human male's, he could do some serious damage. "Kat..." he hedged in a worried tone-of-voice.

"Shhhh," she soothed. "It's okay. I'm not going to just yet," she assured him as her fingers left his shaft, trailing up her thighs to her entrance and dipped her fingers inside herself. Garrus could only groan, and grip her hips tightly, as he watched his mate pleasure herself, the growing scent of her arousal making his member throb vicariously, as it had two nights ago when he observed, via vid-link through the cameras in her room, Shepard tending to her needs in the wake of his absence, due to their up-coming nuptials. His intentions for accessing the feed had been innocent; he'd just wanted to check up on her before going to sleep. But one look at his moaning and writhing mate, one hand busy between her legs and the other working feverishly on her breasts and he'd been mesmerised, unable to tear himself away as she'd brought herself to orgasm.

Pleasuring her by hand was one thing he hadn't done yet, the innate fear hurting her with his claws keeping him from attempting it. But it seemed that she was trying to rectify that by showing him how to go about it and emboldened, one of Garrus' hands left her hip and brushed against the hand working between her legs. With a tender smile and a soft, "I trust you" her hand left her core, gently took hold of his hand and twining a finger with one of his and slid their digits back inside her. Garrus purred as their fingers were enveloped by her slick, rippling, channel. She began to teach him how to drive her wild, then, and as always, he was a quick student when it came to pleasing her, replicating her strokes with a bent finger to caress her G-spot. He also raised his free hand to softly stroke her stomach, which earned a soft moan of apparition from his mate as she raised her own spare hand to tease and pluck at her breasts.

With their combined attentions it wasn't long before she was on the precipice of release and one final stroke within her was all that was need to send her flying, her walls clamping down on their fingers, her juices dripping down their wrists and onto his shaft, which by now had began to weep as well, a dewdrop forming at its tip, as the wave of ecstasy swept through her.

When she recovered, Shepard's hand left her body and began to stroke his eager member again, caressing the column of plated ridges on the top of his shaft that were responsible for the locking mechanism when he reached his peak, as she coated his navy-coloured shaft with their mingled fluids before she positioned his swollen tip to her entrance and sank down onto him, allowing her body time to adjust to his sizable girth before she began move. Garrus groaned and raised his hands to hips as she ground herself against him, driving him closer and closer to his peak, as she lowered her head to his, his shaft swelling within her in preparation of release, as she began to suck and nibble on his uninjured mandible. "Love you," she murmured to him before she began to stroke the inner membrane with her tongue. Garrus groaned in response and grabbed her ass to thrust into her, hard, and Shepard threw back her head, crying his name to the heavens as she toppled over the edge, her channel rigidly gripping his pulsing shaft as she fell into the abyss of pleasure bellow. And as always, her release triggered his and Garrus snarled as his member locked them together as his seed filled her to the brim as he followed his mate into the abyss.

It took them a few minutes before they started to come down from their respective highs, the overflow of their union beginning to gush out of her as the couple caught their breaths and Shepard slumped forward to cuddle up with her Turian. Purring, Garrus lowered his legs to the mattress, wrapped his arms around his mate and rolled to the side so that they could both rest comfortably while they were still joined.

"Kat?" he rumbled.

"Hmmm?" she sleepily responded, not opening her eyes.

"I love you, too," he purred back, returning her earlier sentiment, nuzzling her cheek and she reached up to stroke his face, giving him a quick peck on the muzzle, before settling back down and drifting off.

Purring contently, Garrus followed his mate's example, closing his eyes and letting his dreams claim him.

**TBC...**


	18. Chapter 13 Part 2

**Series Title:** After the Reapers  
**Game:** Mass Effect

**Pairing: **Garrus/Shepard

**Author:** Knights-Honour  
**Disclaimer:** Mass Effect universe © BioWare  
Any character you haven't heard of © me 

**Author's Notes:**  
Thanks go to my Beta; Blueglaceon, who despite having little knowledge of the Mass Effect universe, agreed to edit the series anyway. Thanks, Blue!

_Lazy Days_ is set an hour or so after _Morning's Glory_

**Previously on **_**Reapers**_**:**

"_Think the night terrors will come back?" he questioned softly after a while._

"_I'm pretty sure you've chased them all away," she murmured back sleepily. "But it probably wouldn't hurt to put a dreamcatcher up."_

"_A dreamcatcher?" he questioned, but she was already fast asleep._

_Making a mental note to do some research on the Extranet sometime tomorrow, Garrus continued to hold Shepard until he, too, drifted off._

_~ o ~ o ~_

"_Kat?" he rumbled._

"_Hmmm?" she sleepily responded, not opening her eyes._

"_I love you, too," he purred back, returning her earlier sentiment, nuzzling her cheek and she reached up to stroke his face, giving him a quick peck on the muzzle, before settling back down and drifting off._

_Purring contently, Garrus followed his mate's example, closing his eyes and letting his dreams claim him._

**Moments of Stillness – Lazy Days**

Hours later found the pair in the shower, kissing, caressing and murmuring sweet nothings to each other as they washed themselves clean.

Garrus was the first to leave the warmth of the bathroom, his body drip-dried by the time he reached the wardrobe and he quickly changed into his usual off-duty outfit before leaving the room to go and see what news had stirred up in the Citadel overnight.

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

Fifteen minutes later the Turian heard the bedroom door open

"Hey, you ready to g-" Garrus felt his words clog in his throat when he turned to look at her and caught sight of what she was wearing; a floor-length purple dress.

Needless to say, he was stunned.

Outside of times of absolute necessity, like the mission to Bekenstein with Kasumi (and he thanked the Spirits for the little black number that had opened his eyes to the possibility of a relationship with her), he'd **never** seen Shepard in a dress. So to see her in one now, he was gobsmacked, to say the very least.

Shepard could only chuckle as she approached her astonished mate. "You're going to catch flies," she teased as she closed his agape jaw.

"I'm sorry... I just..." he stammered as he found his voice, "...you look gorgeous..."

Shepard blushed as she stood on her tippy-toes to peck him on the muzzle. "Sweet-talker," she murmured as she drew back.

Chuckling, Garrus offered the crook of his arm to her. "Shall we?"

Shepard smiled as she slipped her arm in his. "We shall."

"Well, Lady Shepard, where to first?" he queried her as they left the apartment.

"Shepard-Vakarian," she corrected instantly, stopping the Turian in his tracks for the second time in as many minutes, the sudden halt causing her to wheel around to face the Turian, who looked like a deer caught in headlights.

"W-what did you say?" he stammered.

"I said 'Shepard-Vakarian,'" she repeated.

"Kat," he began slowly, "You do know that I never expected you to-"

"Take your name?" she finished for him. "We're life partners now, why wouldn't I?"

"Because your humanities' 'golden girl'. The outrage this will stir up..." he rumbled in a worried tone of voice. "And I know that I probably sound like a broken disc right about now. But I just don't want to see you get hurt. You mean everything to me..."

She raised an eyebrow at him "And what did I tell you about my reactions to what everyone else will say? I love you, Garrus, and no misguided opinion is going to change that."

Garrus felt his throat clog, robbing him of his ability to speak, so he responded in the only other way he knew; he lowered his head to hers and pressed his forehead to hers.

"And it's 'broken record,'" she smilingly corrected when he drew back a few minutes later before she stood on her tippy-toes to pack him on the muzzle. "So, Lord Vakarian, where to first?"

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

They wandered aimlessly for hours, just enjoying each others' company and basking in the normalcy of just being a couple in love without a galaxy-saving mission hanging over their heads, occasionally running into old friends, such as Dr. Michelle, or crewmates, they found Mordin discreetly scanning one of the Keepers whilst studying the data that Shepard had collected two years ago and passed onto the Salarian scientist.

Around noon they grabbed a bite to eat from one of the street stalls before continuing on their way.

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

Mid-afternoon they came across a street stall on the Wards.

The stall owner, a human male of Native American appearance, was busily whittling a block of wood into a figurine of what appeared to be a wolf, but he looked up at the couple approached. "Afternoon, folks," he greeted them.

"Afternoon," Garrus returned the greeting, but Shepard's attention was drawn to the dreamcatchers that hung at the back of the stall.

"I've been meaning to get another dreamcatcher, I had one on the original Normandy, but I haven't had a chance to find a new one. You make these?" she questioned Chase.

"Yes, ma'am. Dream catchers and the spirit animal totems. My grandfather taught me. Name's Chase, by the way."

"Shepard."

"Shepard? **The** Shepard? The '_Saviour of the Citadel_' Shepard?"

Shepard just chuckled. "One and only."

"It's an honour to meet you. Didn't know you were of Native American descent."

"Half, on my mother's side. My father's Australian."

"Your spirit animal's a falcon, isn't it, Kat?" Garrus suddenly questioned, surprising the two humans with his knowledge of his mate's heritage.

"One of," at the Turian's curious expression the human Spectre elaborated. "Native American tradition provides that each individual is connected with nine different animals that accompany them throughout life, acting as guides. Different animal guides come and go during the course of our lives, depending on the direction that we're heading and the tasks that need to be completed along the journey. But there is one spirit animal, known as a totem animal, that remains with you for your entire life, both in the physical and the spiritual world, and acts as the main guardian spirit. My totem animal is, as you said, the falcon."

"An appropriate guardian and guide for you, from what I've read about the spirit."

"And when exactly did you do this research?"

"A couple of weeks ago, after you mentioned about dreamcatchers as you were drifting off one night."

Shepard just smiled up at her life partner, her love of him shining in her eyes for all the things that he did to try and understand her better, before returning her attention to Chase.

"I'd like to purchase that one," she pointed to one of the more ornate dreamcatchers, made up of one large disc with three smaller ones hanging off of the main hoop, and decorated with an array of purple and blue feathers and beads (her and Garrus' favourite colours) as well as mirror fragments and talismans. "And your best falcon totem."

Chase grinned as he put down the totem in his hands and stood up to attend to the order; packing the dreamcatcher into a box and then selected a detailed figurine of a falcon perched on a log and gave it to Shepard. But when the ebony-haired woman made a move to pay for her purchases, Garrus stopped her. "Consider them a Union gift from me," he murmured to her before he took care of the rest of the transaction.

When everything was done Chase shook Shepard's hand.

"Pleasure doing business with you, Shepard. May the Spirits guide and protect you in the coming darkness."

"Thank you."

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

After dropping the dreamcatcher and the totem off at their apartment, and freshening up a bit, the couple made their way to the Dark Star lounge for dinner.

**TBC...**


	19. Chapter 13 Part 3

**Series Title:** After the Reapers  
**Pairing: **Garrus/Shepard

**Author:** Knights-Honour  
**Disclaimer:** Mass Effect universe © BioWare  
Any character you haven't heard of © me 

**Author's Notes:**

Thanks go to my Beta; Blueglaceon, who despite having little knowledge of the Mass Effect universe, agreed to edit the series anyway. Thanks, Blue!

For those of you who don't know, Kat's background is Spacer/War Hero/Soldier/Paragon.

Here's the last part of the _Moments_ series.

**Moments of Stillness – Twilight Hours**

The lounge was a hive activity when they arrived, but they were quickly recognised and ushered towards one of the private booths.

"Hey, Commander." Joker raised a glass to them as they passed the helmsman. He and several other of the Normandy's crew, including Jacob and Kenneth Donnelly, were stationed at the bar.

"You boys **still** here?" she grinningly queried the men. "Must've had a rough night's sleep, the floors here are as cold as ice..."

Joker laughed at his CO's implication. "Nah, we were kicked out the second the clock struck midnight."

"And still you dragged yourself back here..."

"What can I say? I'm a gluten for punishment."

Shepard chuckled and rolled her eyes before, "We'll leave you to your ales, then. Have a good night."

"Ditto to you two," the helmsman replied before taking a sip of his beer. Shepard chuckled again as Garrus took her hand in his and lead them over to their table.

After a few minutes a waitress came to take their orders.

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

"Can I ask you something?" Shepard asked the Turian after they'd finished their dinner.

"Of course," Garrus replied.

"I've noticed recently that not all female Turians bear clan marks on their faces. Why is that?"

"For a Turianess to be bare-faced, it usually means that she's un-mated. It's not uncommon, though for a single female to still paint her birth clan's marks on her face right up until she enters Union, so it's hard to tell what her status is. Unless you ask her, of course."

"So a Turian taking their mate's clan mark is akin to a human woman taking her husband's last-name when they enter marriage?"

"Usually."

"And what about males?"

"We start painting our marks on our faces at a young age, but it's only when we reach adulthood that the marks are made permanent in a coming of age ceremony."

"How do you tattoo something that's basically a bone though?"

"By stripping away the protective coat and staining the surface beneath with ink." At Garrus' words, Shepard raised a hand to his face to feel his cobalt markings and he lowered his head to allow her easier access. Compared to the smooth, seamless, expanse of the rest of his plates, the surface here was rougher to the touch as she continued to explore his clan mark, with her eyes as well as her fingers, in an analytical fashion. Garrus didn't fail to notice her studious gaze, prompting him to ask, "Not that I'm complaining or anything... but... Why the sudden interest in Turian clan marks?"

Shepard shrugged her shoulders as she drew back. "No reason. Just curious, is all," she responded as their desserts arrived.

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

An hour later found the couple slow-dancing out on the dance floor.

Surprisingly, it hadn't taken much for Shepard to get the Turian out on the floor once the DJ had started spinning tunes tonight, and they'd nestle into one another as they began to sway together

~_You're a falling star, you're the getaway car.  
You're the line in the sand when I go too far.  
You're the swimming pool, on an August day.  
And you're the perfect thing to say._~

Shepard's ears perked up as a familiar tune began to play and she couldn't help but softly sing along.

~_And you play it coy, but it's kinda cute.  
Ah, when you smile at me you know exactly what you do.  
Baby don't pretend, that you don't know it's true.  
'Cause you can see it when I look at you._

And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times  
It's you, it's you, You make me sing.  
You're every line, you're every word, you're everything.~

Garrus drew back to look at her in amazement at this newest revelation. "You can sing?"

"What can I say? I'm a Jack of all trades."

"Say what?"

~_You're a carousel, you're a wishing well,  
And you light me up, when you ring my bell.  
You're a mystery, you're from outer space,  
You're every minute of my everyday._~

Shepard laughed at her mate's bewilderment. "Human saying. A Jack of all trades is a person who can do many different things," she explained.

"You humans have such odd sayings..."

Shepard laughed again. "I love you too, big guy."

Chuckling, the human Spectre nestled back into her mate's body and they began to rotate on the spot again.  
_  
_~_And I can't believe, uh that I'm your man,  
And I get to kiss you baby just because I can.  
Whatever comes our way, ah we'll see it through,  
And you know that's what our love can do._

And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times  
It's you, it's you, You make me sing  
You're every line, you're every word, you're everything.

So, La, La, La, La, La, La, La  
So, La, La, La, La, La, La, La

And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times  
It's you, it's you, You make me sing.  
You're every line, you're every word, you're everything.  
You're every song, and I sing along.  
'Cause you're my everything.  
Yeah, yeah

So, La, La, La, La, La, La, La  
So, La, La, La, La, La, La, La, La, La, La, La~

As the song wrapped up and a new song began to play in its place, the couple shared a final embrace before leaving the dance floor.

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

A few hours later found the pair taking the scenic route on their walk home. But when they reached the Relay Monument, Shepard found herself pausing.

She'd done her damndest to keep her mind off of the coming Reaper invasion so that she could enjoy these moments of peace with Garrus while they lasted. But the sight of the miniature Relay returned the thoughts of the arduous task that lay before she and her crew to the front of her mind with a vengeance and she sighed.

The sound drew Garrus' attention. "Kat?"

She looked to him, rueful. "I know I said that I'd try to keep the Reaper invasion out of my head, but..."

Garrus chuckled as he bent his head to nuzzle her. "It's alright, I understand. You've got the weight, and welfare, of the galaxy resting on your shoulders."

Shepard rolled her eyes, a wry grin hinting at her lips. "Thanks for reminding me."

"But you won't be alone. You've got me, and the rest of crew backing you up in this. Not to mention Liara and Kaidan, when he finally gets rid of that stick up his arse about you working with Cerberus." '_And comes crawling back, begging you for your forgiveness,_' he continued silently, furrowing his brow-plates. '_But if he thinks he's just going to waltz in and sweep you off your feet after what he put you through, he's got another thought coming. His chance with you has been and gone; I'm_ **never** _going to give you up!_'

"A credit for them?" Shepard's voice interrupted the Turian's thoughts and he returned his attention to the beautiful woman in his arms.

"Sorry." he smiled down at his mate.

"You looked like were a million miles away..."

"Nope, still right here," he purred as he started to steer them away from the monument and towards their apartment, where a night of tender love-making awaited them.

**Fin.**

**Song's Used:**

"Everything" by Michael Bublé


	20. Chapter 14 Part 1

**Series Title:** After the Reapers  
**Pairing: **Garrus/Shepard

**Author:** Knights-Honour  
**Disclaimer:** Mass Effect universe © BioWare  
Any character you haven't heard of © me 

**Author's Notes:**

Thanks go to my Beta; Blueglaceon, who despite having little knowledge of the Mass Effect universe, agreed to edit the series anyway. Thanks, Blue!

This is my first post-ME3 story, and I gotta say, I'm proud of it.

**WARNING:** _Celebration of Life_ contains orgy situations (M/F, M/F voyeurism, F/F, F/F voyeurism, M/F/F, & M/F/M/F) so if that kinda thing upsets you, then I suggest that you skip this chapter and wait for the next addition of _After the Reapers_

**Celebration of Life – Part One**

As the sun set over Macedyn, Shepard bustled around in her room, finalising her preparations for the Festival of Life.

The lavender garb she wore was probably one of the most revealing things she'd ever worn, the sheer fabric, which left little to the imagination, barely covered her body. She'd completed the look with royal purple arm length fingerless gloves and thigh length toeless stockings.

"Kat, you ready to go?" Solana questioned from the door

"As ready as I'm likely to be," the human responded, still a little unsure about the whole thing, as she pulled the negligee's hood up over her head.

The young Turianess tilted her head, studying Shepard. Solana had come to greatly respect her brother's mate since she'd met her two days ago.

The human respected everyone, regardless of race or gender (barring those who opposed her, of course) and always did her best to be friendly in even the most trying of situations. That same respect had doubled when Shepard had approached her the previous day, asking the younger female to teach her about what would be expected of her during the following night's festivities. Solana could see that the first human Spectre was well out of her comfort zone, attending an event that which was deemed perverse and deviant by most of her race, but because of her love for Garrus, she was willing to bite the bullet and attend the festival.

Letting out a final, uneasy, breath, Shepard turned to her companion. "Shall we?"

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

The grounds where the celebrations would be taking place had been transformed to accommodate the coming festivities; pillows, divans, and blankets were spread about and a number of tents rimmed the outskirts.

Already, Turians were beginning to arrive and it wasn't long before one of the males plucked up the balls to approach them, purring and clicking in a rhythmic display in the hopes of enticing one of them to mate with him, but there was only one male that Shepard was interested in, so, bearing her teeth, the human hissed at her would-be suitor, indicating that she wasn't interested in him. But the youth didn't seem to get the message and continued to try and woo her until his path was suddenly blocked by a defensive Solana, who flared her mandibles wide as she clocked the youngster once about the head and she growled as he made a hasty retreat from the two females.

"The younger males can be a little over eager in regards to mating," Solana stated apologetically once they were alone again.

Shepard chuckled, "They're no different to human teens in that regard. Thanks."

"That's why we girls have to stick together."

Shepard smiled at that; from what she'd learned it wasn't uncommon for females to watch out for each other during these celebrations, from coming to the aid of a clan sister in trouble to, if need be, helping to prepare each other for their respective mates. And needless to say, Shepard was grateful that the youngest Vakarian and her friends were willing to adopt her into their ranks for the night as the females observed the next bunch of arrivals with interest.

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

It wasn't long before the area was swarming with Turians, all busily trying to impress potential mates.

But there was still no sight or sign of Garrus.

She was broken out of her reverie by the sound of a male attempting to court her. Tensing, she turned to face the would-be-suitor, ready to clock him if need be, but relief flooded her when she saw that it was Garrus.

She took a step towards him, expressing her interest in him and he doubled his efforts to woo her, giving the time to study what he was wearing as he continued to display himself to her. Even here, he'd integrated his trademark colours of black and blue into his outfit, and adding in the silver armor pieces he wore on his forearms, calves, thighs, back, neck and shoulders (and the all important cod piece) he looked like a knight of old ready to battle for the right to mate, and as he began his rhythmic display again, the ebony-haired human responded in kind, showing her interest in him in return.

They continued their dance as they approached each other until they were face-to-face, and Garrus reached out to stroke her waist as she reached for his fringe; showing her acceptance of him. But as they made a move to leave, a snarl was issued from behind them, and Garrus turned to face the challenger, letting go of Shepard as a ring formed around them, as he let loose a roar of his own. As he'd expected, Shepard had peaked the interest of a number of males. She was the one who had been victorious in the war against the Reapers after all. So, crouching into a combat stance, Garrus beckoned the challenger forward.

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

An hour later found Garrus still locked in combat. He'd defeated at least a dozen challengers so far, and was circling what he hoped would be his last opponent.

Shepard was thoroughly aroused from watching her Turian fight for the right to mate with her; her pupils were dilated, her breathing quick and shallow, her breasts tender and sensitive; her nipples hard peaks that were begging for attention as between her legs her bud was engorged, extended and throbbing vicariously, and likewise aching for her mate's caress, so that even the slightest pressure of her own thighs against the flushed and swollen folds as she shifted her stance sent shockwaves through her body and she whimpered in response to the contact.

The sound spurred Garrus on in his fight and he snarled as he lunged at his opponent, his claws drawing blood as he grappled with the grey-skinned male for the upper hand as Shepard's juices dribbled down her thighs, staining her stockings. The smell of his mate's nectar was the final straw for Garrus and he violently slammed into his foe, sending him spiralling, before the scarred Turian ponced, knocking the challenger out with a solid punch to the jaw.

Breathing heavily, Garrus straightened up and roared a challenge out at the crowd and this time no one answered.

The scarred Turian turned back his female and he approached her, purring in a soothing manner as he took her hands in his, the clan watching their every movement, and led her over to one of the near-by tents, to the Sultan's bed within. Once inside, he started to remove his armour, but his hands were slapped away and Shepard took over the task. He began his vocal display again as she worked on the leather straps that held the armour pieces together on his body, his purring clicks further stimulating her mind and body to a delirious state.

When the last piece of armour dropped to the floor, and he stripped the cloth bodysuit from his body, Shepard pressed herself ardently against him, her fingers seeking out his erogenous zones and his protective folds moistened in response as he responded in turn, one hand grasping her waist as the other began to fondle one of her breasts.

It seemed that watching him defend his claim to her had aroused her enough that she'd let go of her inhibitions about mating in front of the entire clan. Her body was primed for their coupling as she drew away from him and lowered herself onto all fours in front of him, offering herself to him. '_Good girl,_' the Turian silently praised; her act of submission showed the clan that she accepted him, without qualms, as her mate. He purred his approval at her actions, dropping down onto his knees, his swollen member extending out of him as he divested her of the scrap of lace that she was wearing with two flicks of his wrist at her neck and waist, before he gently swept the curtain of her ebony hair aside to reveal her bond mark as his armoured frame covered hers from behind. His right arm went around her waist, muscles corded with tension, anchoring her to him and making it clear that escape, had she ever wanted it, would be impossible. His other hand curled under her to grasp her left shoulder tightly and he pulled her back toward him as at the same time that he thrust forward, powerfully, his member entering her tight channel. Shepard cried out at their union as his fangs sank into her right shoulder, her flesh muffling his answering snarl as he began to move, hard and aggressive, over her, in her. The hard length of him pistoned into her, robbing her of any ability she might have had to think. He snarled again, burying himself almost violently inside her, over and over, at a pace that left her screaming and crying out with need. Garrus echoed his mate's sounds in savage parody, urging her to climax with each hot stroke of his body. Shepard shook in his hold, begging her mate over and over not to stop. He growled loudly past his hold on her flesh in response before he forced her upper body down to the pillows below them, his right hand uncurling from around her shoulder to press it down to the floor and keep her there.

The new position made every sensation sharper and Shepard felt her climax build swiftly to sweep over her in a molten tide. Screaming release, her body clenched on his and he roared, his arms tightening around her, his body thrusting into her once more before he came, his member locking them together as his seed filled her. His roar, echoed by the rest of the clan, turned into an animal shriek of triumph and Shepard felt his muscles tremor in a tension that probably could have easily broken her. But despite of the fangs in her shoulder and the immovable strength of his frame surrounding hers, he was gentle. He held her securely, tightly; his hold absolute, but he wouldn't hurt her.

As the overflow of his seed began to gush out of her, his body slowly relaxed and his teeth released her shoulder, replaced by his tongue as he cleaned her wounds. He purred loudly, left hand gently caressing the her stomach, right hand on the floor supporting his weight now that he no longer felt the need to keep her in one spot. Shepard shook with reaction, trembling beneath him as she relearned how to breathe.

After a few moments, Garrus paused in his ministrations to his mate's shoulder and nodded his head at Markus, and the Clan Leader let the tent flaps fall shut as the scarred Turian gently lowered himself to the floor before rolling them over to lay on their sides to allow them to rest comfortably while they were locked together.

Exhausted, Shepard close hers eyes, and was quickly lulled to sleep by her mate's soothing ministrations on her body. Garrus, however, remained awake, the sound of rutting and the heavy smell of pheromones in the air keeping him primed for the next round. But knowing that his race had more stamina when it came to mating than hers did, he let her rest.

She'd need it if she was going to have any chance at lasting the entire night...

**TBC... **


	21. Chapter 14 Part 2

**Series Title:** After the Reapers  
**Pairing: **Garrus/Shepard

**Author:** Knights-Honour  
**Disclaimer:** Mass Effect universe © BioWare  
Any character you haven't heard of © me 

**Author's Notes:**

Thanks go to my Beta; Blueglaceon, who despite having little knowledge of the Mass Effect universe, agreed to edit the series anyway. Thanks, Blue!

Here's the second part of _Celebration of Life_

**WARNING:** _Celebration of Life_ contains orgy situations (M/F, F/F, M/F/F, M/F/M/F, fellatio, cunnilingus & voyeurism) so if that kinda thing upsets you, then I suggest that you skip this chapter and wait for the next addition of _After the Reapers_

**Celebration of Life – Twilight**

Garrus awoke from his light slumber, half an hour later, as his turian-hood receded from Shepard's body.

Driven by the instinct to be constantly sheathed within his mate so-as to never allow another to penetrate her and possibly impregnate her, he gently extracted himself from her still sleeping form and rolled her onto her back, but he retained enough of his rational mind to know that Shepard needed to be prepared before he could enter her. His member quivered within him when his seed from their previous coupling began trickling out her as he spread her legs to give himself better access to her weeping core, as he bent his head, his mandibles fluttering against the silky flesh of her inner thighs as he inhaled her musky scent before he began to stroke his hot tongue over her heated flesh. Shepard gave a sleepy moan as her body responded to his attentions eagerly, her hips beginning to undulated against him as he continued to lap at her swollen folds with increasing fervour, feasting greedily on her nectar with long, heavy licks, his tongue, when compared to a humans, was longer, stronger, more dexterous and endlessly rough, complete with sandpapery taste buds, stimulating her bud as he inserted one blunt tipped finger into her hot channel. With the combined stimulation of finger and tongue it wasn't long before, with a hard thrust of her hips against his face and an unconscious moan, he felt his mate orgasm, her muscles gripping his finger as her juices flooding into his waiting maw.

He continued to stimulate her, stroking her folds until he'd lapped up every last drop of her release, before he removed his finger from her and settled himself between her legs and nestling the bulbous head of his extended, throbbing shaft at her entrance. Gently gripping her thighs, he slid into her moist channel, resting for a moment before he began to move, setting a slow and sensuous pace, his strokes long and languid as he savoured his mate's body. He faltered a little, however, when, with a soft sigh, Shepard's mossy green eyes fluttered open; as he'd never taken her without her being one hundred percent in the act, so he was a little nervous as to her reaction.

"Hey..."

"Hey..." he purred back. "...I'm sorry... I couldn't stop... my instincts..."

She raised a hand to stroke his face. "It's okay..." she soothed as she began to move with him. "I can... _oh_... think of worse things to wake up too..."

"Like '_Wake up, Commander. Get out of that bed now - this facility is under attack!_'?" Garrus grinningly mimicked Miranda's voice.

"Hmmm..." she purred as she wrapped her legs around his slender waist, allowing him to penetrate her more deeply.

"I didn't push you to far, though, did I?" a worried tone entered his flanging voice. "With taking you in front of the clan?"

Shepard smiled, shaking her head. "To be totally honest, my focus was on you, so I forgot about the crowd."

He felt chuffed that he'd been able to achieve such a thing, after all, Shepard was an N7 Alliance Marine, not to mention a war-hardened soldier. The feel of his mate's hand caressing the sensitive skin under his fringe rapidly brought his attention back the human beneath him, and he bent his head to kiss and nuzzle her as they lost themselves in the age old dance of passion.

But with them so wrapped up in each other, they failed to notice that they were not alone any more as the tent flap was pulled back by an incoming couple...

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

_**Ten minutes earlier...**_

_Octavious roared in pain as his opponent's claws slashed through his cloth bodysuit and imbedded themselves in his skin. But the dark chocolate-skinned male refused to give in, the only male who would be mating with Solana tonight would be him! So, snarling, he clocked his opponent about the head. Stunned, the black-skinned male faltered in his attack and Octavious seized the chance to end the fight, delivering a powerful upper-cut to his foe's jaw, sending him flying. Octavious straightened up watching as the challenger landed in a heap a distance away, and didn't get back up, before he turned back to the crowd and roared a challenge._

_No-one answered. _

Octavious purred as he returned to Solana and bunted his forehead against hers before she took his hands and headed towards the tent that her brother and his mate occupied.

"I don't hear anything," Octavious rumbled to his life partner. "They must be resting."

But when Solana drew beck the flap, the incoming couple saw that that was anything but the case. The resident couple were locked in a union, but compared to their previous domineering rutting; this coupling was tender, like they were savouring each other through the act, completely absorbed in each other. The couple continued to come together, oblivious of Octavious and Solana, their pace gaining momentum until Shepard tilted her head back and moaned as Garrus thrust into her one final time, the scarred Turian letting out a keening snarl of his own, his teeth grazing his mate's bond mark, but he didn't break her skin, as the couple toppled into the abyss of pleasure together.

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

Garrus purred, his seed filling Shepard's feminine core, as the couple basked in the afterglow of their coupling. It was only as he started to come down from his high that the Normandy's Gunnery Officer felt two sets of eyes on them and he tensed; they were both in an extremely vulnerable position while they were locked together and while being in a closed tent declared them both off limits to rest of the clan, it wasn't uncommon for a rouge Turian or Turianess to... what was the human term Shepard had used... gatecrash in the hopes of getting lucky. So, growling threateningly, the scarred Turian turned his head to look at the interlopers.

"Easy, brother," Solana cajoled her riled sibling. "We mean no harm," the young Turianess assured her kin as she and her mate made their way over to one of the other nest of pillows in the enclosure. Garrus relaxed as Solana began to aggressively remove Octavious' armour, the air becoming thick with pheromones. It wasn't uncommon for two exclusive couples to share a tent, the main reason being protection; one couple watching out for the other when they were locked together after a rutting.

A moan underneath him drew Garrus' attention back to his own female as she unhooked her legs from his waist and beckoned him to her with outstretched arms. The scarred Turian did as his mate bid him before rolling them over.

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

Garrus felt his member throb and quiver vicariously within Shepard as Solana's roar of completion filled the air as Octavious, still holding his mate in place with his teeth, continued to thrust shallowly into her for a few more minutes before the Turianess collapsed onto the pillows beneath her, where her mate continued to keep her pinned until she whacked him about the head a couple of times before he finally rolled off of her to get away from the barrage.

"You weren't kidding about just how rough you guys can get when you're rutting," Shepard murmured softly, blushing slightly as she finally tore her gaze away from the rutting couple and returned her attention to her Turian. "You really are a gentleman with me in compassion..."

Garrus chuckled softly as he began to stroke his mate's back as she snuggled up to him before closing her eyes.

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

Shepard was roused by the feel of Garrus' member leaving her body.

'_Time for Round Three,_' she thought as she stretched sensuously against him. A low purr came from Garrus immediately, the Turian's predatory blues opened to focus on her as she rolled him onto his back before straddling his thighs. Garrus' purr intensified when Shepard raised a hand to his chest and then she proceeded to trail a meandering path down his body, teasing the sensitive flesh between his chest and abdominal plates, to his groin, where her fingers slipped under the lips of his protective folds to stroke the bulbous head beneath, rousing his shaft to push past his moistened protective folds and into Shepard's hungry gaze. Garrus' hips jerked forward when Shepard's tongue swirled around the swollen head of his cock, and then groaned as she enveloped him in her mouth as she moved to settle between his legs to better please him. Garrus dug his claws into the pillows beside them as Shepard began to suckle and tease him with her tongue as she stroked the remaining length of his phallus by hand. She continued to pleasure him until she felt his navy-coloured member begin to swell inside her mouth.

"Kat..." Garrus groaned as her moth left his cock to lick the underside of his swelling shaft, as much as he loved to be brought to release by this uniquely human sexual activity, he was inches away from his peak and in their current set of circumstances he needed to be inside her when that happened.

"Hmmm?" She questioned as she raised her head from his weeping shaft.

He reached for her. "Please..."

Heeding his pleas, she moved to settle her body over him. Bracing herself on his neck ridge she slid down onto him, sheathing his throbbing shaft in her molten walls. Garrus dug his fingers into the soft flesh of her hips as she began to ride him, alternating between fast and hard and slow and soft. Having already been on the brink of release when he'd sheathed himself inside his mate, it didn't take much before Garrus reached his peak and he snarled as his body locked itself within Shepard's and release his essence into her. Feeling her Turian reach his peak triggered her own and Shepard cried out as her muscles constricted around Garrus' pulsing member as her release washed over her.

They remained that way until they came down from their pleasure induced high and as the overflow of Garrus' seed gushed out of her she cuddled up to her mate to rest up for the next round.

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

When Shepard next awoke, she was cover by a blanket, but when she groped around for Garrus' armoured frame there was no sign of her mate.

"Garrus?" she called out, pushing herself into an upright position with her elbows.

"They went to grab a quick bite to eat," Solana answered. "They should be back shortly."

Letting out a soft sigh, Shepard flopped back down into the pillows, nestling back into the warmth as she waited for her man to return.

"Are all your couplings like what we observed before?" Solana suddenly question.

Shepard turned her head to look at the young Turianess. "Mostly."

"I never would have thought that Garrus could be capable of gentility in regards to rutting. Or be dominated by a female."

Shepard couldn't help but laugh. "You should have seen him when we first got together, then. He was as timid as lamb, afraid that he'd hurt me at every turn, so much so that I had to provoke him whenever I wanted to rut like a Turian."

"And now?"

Shepard smirked. "What do you think?"

"If the display you two gave the clan when the festivities began is any indication, I'd say that my dear brother has learned to let go and, as you humans say, go with the flow."

"You can say that again," Shepard murmured as her thoughts drifted to the night before the Normandy and the united races of the galaxy had made the final push to take back the Earth. She'd been in her fertile window at the time, and Garrus had picked up on it. He'd coupled with her at least half a dozen times before he'd reigned in his instincts and allowed her to get some much needed sleep. Solana began to purr as a musky, earthly, scent began to permeate the air with in the tent. She'd caught a whiff of the scent before, when the inter-species couple had been locked together. Shepard was becoming aroused by something.

Enticed and curious, Solana approached Shepard's nest, "May I?" Solana knew that most humans were conservative when it came to sex, that they didn't like to be on display when they were naked, the polar opposite of her race, and that they tended to save the sight of their bodies as a gift for their mates, which intrigued the young Turianess. Shepard nodded, trembling slightly as Solana peeled back the blanket, revealing the human to her gaze and settled between her legs. Shepard mewled as Solana bent her head to touch the head of her bud with the tip of her roughened tongue, before she tentatively stroked her folds with a long, slow lick, testing the human's flavour as Shepard moaned in response of the caress. Emboldened, Solana began to lick Shepard's swollen folds in a steady rhythm and the human felt her body begin to coil in preparation of release.

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

"I hope you realise just how lucky you are," Octavious told Garrus as the two Turian males, their hunger for food now sated, made their way back to their tent. The older male hadn't been able to resist the chance to ask his clan brother what it was like to bed a human.

"I do know... and I thank the Spirits everyday for bringing Shepard into my life," Garrus replied earnestly as he pulled back the flap of their tent. The two males were met by the sight of Shepard on her back, moaning and writhing, as Solana, between her legs, lapped at her glistening folds. Groaning Garrus stripped off as quickly as he could and joined the two females. Shepard moaned, reaching for him as he settled above her, and he purred in response as he gently raised her head onto his lap, bending his head to kiss his mate before he turned his attention to her neglected breasts. Crouching over her, he lowered his muzzle to one luscious mound and snaked his tongue around her erect nipple. Shepard cried out at the contact, her back arching off the bed as her hands found their way to the back of his head and latched on, determined to keep her mate right where he was, even though he had no intentions of going anywhere, and as he continued to suckle and lap one breast, he brought a hand up to fondle and caress the other.

The combined attentions of her mate and his sister quickly overwhelmed Shepard and she convulsed as her release swept over her like a tsunami. Solana pinned the human female's hips in her claws and pressed her onslaught, licking faster, until Shepard's juices began to dribble out her. But before she could start to lap up her reward, she felt Octavious, who was just as aroused by the sight of the two females preparing each other as Garrus; mount her from behind, intent on rutting with her, but the caramel-skinned female wasn't having anything to do with it. Snarling, she turned on her mate and violently repelled him, letting him know in no uncertain terms that she wasn't interested in rutting with him at the moment before she turned back to resume her duties to her clan sister.

Only Shepard wasn't there anymore, Garrus had pulled her to safety when the scrap between the other couple had begun.

But the couple's attention was no longer on the fight.

Shepard was straddling Garrus, her back to his chest, the scarred Turian resting an arm around her stomach as she guided his pulsing shaft into her moist core until he was fully sheathed within her. The human let her head loll back against her mate as he began to move, thrusting into her as he also began to knead her breasts as Solana approached the mating pair.

"May I please you both?" Solana asked them as she settled between their outstretched legs. Shepard recognized the Turianess' words as the ritualized consent she'd read about, used when another Turian was seeking to partake in a rutting with an exclusive pair, as she heard her mate rumble his assent and she nodded her own.

Solana's talons slipped beneath Shepard's legs, just above the knee, supporting her and the human trembled, watching the Turianess as she bent her head and began to lap Shepard's swollen folds. Moaning at the feel of both raspy tongue and ribbed cock stimulating her at the same time, Shepard closed her eyes and focused on the pleasure rippling through her body; Garrus' shaft, pumping a little more roughly into her; Garrus' claws, cupping her breasts, flicking her nipples; Garrus' teeth in her shoulder, marking her as his, and finally, Solana's tongue, so hot and soft and wet, stimulating her clit. Shepard felt her own arousal intensify at a speed and rate she'd never experienced and her body burned in response; her clit, greedy, demanded more, her muscles milked Garrus' cock, her back arched to shove her breasts even further into her mate's hands. She felt like some sort of primitive Turian sex goddess, sitting here on Garrus' lap, her legs spread, her body being worshiped by acolytes, and as she began to quiver like a live wire from sexual tension, she stretched her legs as wide as she could, arching her back, trembling on the point of orgasm. Just a little more... please... a little more...

The human's impending peak prompted Octavious to try to couple with his mate again, so crooning softly, he approached her. In a much more content mood then before, Solana turned away from aiding her clan sister to croon back at her mate, shifting her stance to allow him to mount her. Octavious purred as he covered her and began to thrust into her.

Garrus growled behind Shepard, gripped her breasts painfully tightly, thrust _hard_. Orgasm ripped through her instantly and she convulsed as Garrus thrust into her, snarling as his cock locked itself within her channel and spilled his seed into her.

Their peak set Solana and Octavious off, and the dark chocolate-skinned male began to thrust harder into his mate as the Turianess bent her head to lap Shepard's weeping folds as Garrus' overflow began to gush out of her. Moaning as Solana prolonged her orgasm; the human lifted a hand to stroke behind Solana's fringe, as Garrus began to shallowly thrust into her again, returning the favour as the female Turian found her own peak. Octavious wasn't far behind his mate; sinking his teeth into her neck and sheathing himself deep within her as he came. The sight and sound of the Turian rutting was inexplicably arousing to Shepard and, combined with Garrus' ministrations, she found herself peaking again.

When Shepard came down from the euphoric high, she stilled and opened her eyes. She was slick with sweat and Garrus, under her, was breathing heavily as he flopped back into the pillows, his hands coming up to stroke her stomach as they caught their breath, but as her body cooled down, she began to shiver. Garrus immediately rose off the bed to gather her up in his arms and brought them both back to the Sultan's bed to rest.

**TBC...**


	22. Chapter 14 Part 3

**Series Title:** After the Reapers  
**Pairing: **Garrus/Shepard

**Author:** Knights-Honour  
**Disclaimer:** Mass Effect universe © BioWare  
Any character you haven't heard of © me 

**Author's Notes:**

Thanks go to my Beta; Blueglaceon, who despite having little knowledge of the Mass Effect universe, agreed to edit the series anyway. Thanks, Blue!

Believe it or not, my faithful readers, that when I first envisioned this particular story it was only going to be one story, but when I started to write it… well it just grew a life of its own?

Anyway, here's the third and final part of _Celebration of Life_

**WARNING:** _Celebration of Life_ contains orgy situations (M/F, F/F, M/F/F, M/F/M/F, fellatio, cunnilingus & voyeurism) so if that kinda thing upsets you, then I suggest that you skip this chapter and wait for the next addition of _After the Reapers_

**Celebration of Life – Dawn**

Shepard stirred awake after an hour long nap. Carefully extracting herself from her still sleeping mate, she stood up, wincing as she did so; her thighs, rubbed raw by their numerous couplings, stung as the overflow of Garrus' seed trickled from her womanly core and down the abused flesh. But gritting her teeth against the pain, she ambled over to the tent flap. Across the room, Octavious and Solana were still fast asleep; the dark chocolate skinned male laying across his mate's back, dominating her even when they rested.

Opening the tent flap, Shepard took a look outside. The sun was rising over the horizon, lighting the ceremonial grounds. Much like in their tent, the majority of the Turians were sound asleep, exhausted from the night's activities, but there were still a few couples locked in a final rut.

"Kat?" Behind her, Garrus sleepily called out for her as he stirred.

"Here," Shepard murmured as she let go of the tent flap and made her way back to her mate, who reached for her as she lowered herself down onto the Sultan's bed, guiding her so that she straddled his lap once she was all the way down. "Hey," she whispered.

"Hey," he purred back as he raised a hand to stroke her back. "How're you feeling?"

"I don't think I've been this sore since the night before the final battle with the Reapers..." Garrus opened his mouth to respond, but Shepard stopped him with a hand over his muzzle. "But," she continued, "so long as I get a nice hot bath to soak in for an hour or so and a nap, I should be okay."

Her Turian mate smiled up at her. "That can easily be arranged. Ready to get out of here?"

"Mmmhmmm," she hummed as she hopped off of him and he got to his feet. Locating his discarded bodysuit, he pulled on the pants before offering the top to Shepard.

"I know it's probably three sizes too big for you..."

"Try ten," she teased as she pulled the garment on. She was right; the black top dwarfed her smaller form, easily covering her body from the unwanted gazes of the other Turians. "It'll do 'til we get back to the apartment," she responded before Garrus picked her up, bridal-style, and left the tent as she dozed off in his arms. Once outside, he paused for a moment as he surveyed the scene before him. Some, if not most, of the females present would now be with child. But as he looked down at his sleeping wife, Garrus felt a pang of regret pass through him at the thought that she wouldn't be one of them. Though Mordin had jumped at the chance to help the couple conceive via IVF, it wasn't the same as procreating naturally.

Stirring at the lack of movement, Shepard opened her eyes and looked up at her husband. "Garrus?" she murmured. "What's wrong?"

Shepard's question snapped him back into reality, and Garrus cleared his head before he answered, "Nothing... just thinking..."

Shepard sensed that this was another one of those things that he'd tell her about in time, so she let it go.

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

Forty-five minutes later found the pair soaking in a hot spring, lazily enjoying each other's company.

But when the wind wafted the lingering pheromones from the ceremonial grounds into their little piece of paradise, Garrus was stimulated into a breeding frenzy. He began to stroke and caress Shepard's erogenous zones, arousing his mate for one final festival-induced coupling. The human female moaned as her Turian slipped a hand underwater, settling his tri-fingered hand between her legs and began to stroke her bud with his thumb whilst sliding a finger into her channel. He then proceeded to bring her to orgasm numerous times and it was only when she started begging him to fill her that Garrus relented. He removed his digit from within her before he lined their bodies up so that as his shaft extended out of him it immediately penetrated into her feminine core. Shepard cried out at the rapid impalement, arching her body against his as she began to grind herself against him in response, riding him at they began move against each other. The feel of the water gushing about them, and on occasion into her when he withdrew far enough out of her, only added to the sensations of their union as they continued to come together. After that, it only took a few minutes of frantic movement before they both teetered on the cusp of release. The feel of Garrus' teeth sinking into her neck was the final straw for Shepard and, as the Turian buried himself deep within her, her release washed over her. Garrus followed hot on her heels, his member locking them together as he released his fertile seed into her womb, her flesh muffling his snarls of completion.

As they basked in the afterglow, Shepard leaned forward resting their foreheads together as they caught their breath. As his rational mind returned Garrus released his grip on her neck, silently berated himself as he pulled back for allowing his rutting instinct to take control. _What in the Spirit's name was wrong with him!_ Shepard had said to him that she needed to rest. _He was a fully-grown, mature male capable of restraint!_ He cursed himself at his lack of control and mentally kicked himself in the nether-scales. _Not some out of control, inexperienced hatchling, high on_ _pheromones and experiencing his first rutting!_ The feel of Shepard's tongue probing the sensitive inner-membrane of his uninjured mandible drew him out of his brooding quick-smart.

"Back with me?" She murmured as she drew back.

He averted his gaze. "I'm sorry," he mumbled.

"Hey," she guided him to look at her. "If I didn't want it, I wouldn't have responded to your advances."

"Still..."

Shepard rolled her eyes in exasperation and Garrus smiled, his mandibles quivering in amusement. Chuckling in return, Shepard leaned forward to kiss him and the Turian returned the lip-lock, to the best of his ability, immediately.

"So, about that nap..." she murmured when she drew back a few minutes later.

Garrus laughed, getting the message immediately. "Lock your legs around my waist," he rumbled, and she did as he asked, also wrapping her arms around his neck to anchor herself to him, as the Turian got to his feet and carefully climbed out of the spring.

Though still locked together, the two started back towards the house in the distance where a lazy afternoon of relaxation awaited them.

**Fin.**


	23. Chapter 15

**Series Title:** After the Reapers  
**Pairing: **Garrus/Shepard

**Author:** Knights-Honour  
**Disclaimer:** Mass Effect universe © BioWare  
Any character you haven't heard of © me 

**Author's Notes:**

Thanks go to my Beta; Blueglaceon, who despite having little knowledge of the Mass Effect universe, agreed to edit the series anyway. Thanks, Blue!

_First Impressions_ takes place in Shepard's first trip to the Citadel in ME.

But you guys already guessed that, didn't you?

**First Impressions**

"Saren's hiding something!" C-Sec Officer Garrus Vakarian insisted to his boss and fellow Turian, Executor Venari Pallin. "Give me more time; stall them."

"Stall the Council?" Pallin scoffed. "Don't be ridicules. Your investigation is over, Garrus."

Without saying anything more, the C-Sec Executor turned and walked away, leaving the younger male fuming in his wake. Frustrated Garrus let out a breath to try and calm himself down. Pallin couldn't see it, but Garrus felt in his gizzard that something big was about happen, and Saren was smack-bang in the middle of whatever it was. _If only he could get someone to believe him!_

In his peripheral vision, the Turian saw three humans arrive and he turned to look at them, immediately recognising the lead figure; Lieutenant Commander Kathryn Shepard.

For a human, she cut an impressive figure. Clad in Onyx armour and armed to the teeth, her very aura seemed to scream '_Don't mess with me! You do, you die._' Her physical looks weren't that bad either; her skin was the colour of milk... what was the name of that human confectionary... chocolate. Her eyes, that seemed to be able to penetrate the soul of the person she was looking at, were mossy shade of green. And her hair, cut in a short bob that ended at her ears, was the colour of ebony.

And then of course there was her military service record. Born and raised on Alliance ships and bases by her spacer parents, she'd grown up with the military way. Once she'd turned eighteen, she'd followed in her parents' footsteps and enlisted in the System's Alliance, and had trained in the elite N7 special forces program, graduating at the top of her class. From there she had quickly worked her way up the ranks. And then had come her defining moment; the Skyllian Blitz. The then twenty-two year-old soldier had been on shore leave on Elysium when the Blitz had occurred. Shepard had quickly rallied a resistance force against the attacking forces, made up of mercenaries, slavers, pirates and Batarian warlords, had managed to single-handedly repulse the enemy ground force long enough for Alliance reinforcements to arrive.

And word was that she had been on Eden Prime when the traitorous Saren had attacked the human colony. Perhaps the Spirits had just answered his prayers.

"Commander Shepard?" the Turian questioned and the human woman nodded her head. "Name's Garrus Vakarian. I was the officer in charge of the C-Sec investigation into Saren."

"Sounds like you really want to bring him down," the second member, a woman with brown hair and brown eyes, commented.

"I don't trust him," the C-Sec officer replied. "Something about him rubs me the wrong way. But he's a Spectre; everything he touches is classified. I can't find any hard evidence."

"I think the Council's ready for us, Commander," the third member of Shepard's squad, a male with black hair and brown eyes, advised his CO.

"Good luck, Shepard," The Turian offered. "Maybe they'll listen to you."

With a nod of her head, Shepard and her companions departed for the Council Chambers while Garrus left to do little more investigating on his own.

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

"I didn't tell anyone! I swear!" The human medic, Dr. Chloe Michel, cried in anguish as Shepard, Kaiden and Ashley entered the clinic. Shepard didn't fail to notice Garrus as he stealthily moved in on the thugs threatening the good doctor.

"That was smart, Doc. Now if Garrus comes around, you stay smart. Keep your mouth shut or-" the thug broke off when he spotted Shepard's team. "Who're you?" he demanded, grabbing Dr. Michel to make her a hostage.

"Let her go!" Shepard responded as she drew her pistol. She preferred not to spill blood in a negotiation if it could be avoided, but experience had taught her to be ready, just in case.

With the thugs' attention on Shepard, Garrus crept around the pillar he was hiding behind and took out the lead thug with a single shot between the eyes. All hell broke loose then as the leader crumpled, hitting the ground with a thud and his team began to fire on the intruders in response. Garrus pulled Dr. Michel to safety as Shepard's squad took cover behind a barrier.

"Take these bastards out!" the soldier ordered to her team.

"Finally, some action!" Ashley crowed.

The three humans were an effective team and it wasn't long before all the thugs were on the ground. Once the dust had settled, Garrus approached them. "Perfect timing, Shepard. Gave me a clear shot at that bastard."

Shepard turned on the young Turian, her bobbed haircut whipping around her face at the movement, a cold fury in her eyes. "What the **hell** were you thinking! You could have hit the hostage!"

"There wasn't time to think!" he refuted. "I just reacted." Shepard crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes. From the little he knew about human expressions, Garrus realised he'd just pissed the human woman off with his rash actions. '_Smart move, Vakarian! Turn a potential ally against you!_' "I didn't mean to-" he turned to look at the human medic behind him. "Dr. Michel, are you hurt?"

"No, I'm okay." The medic assured her saviours. "Thanks to you. All of you."

Shepard relaxed and started to question the woman about what the thugs had been after.

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

After learning that Fist was in contact with a young female Quarian that had information on the Geth that would hopefully incriminate Saren, Shepard's squad left the clinic, and Garrus raced after them. "Shepard, wait!" The human commander turned to look at him. "This is your show, but I want to bring Saren down as much as you do. Let me come with you."

"You're a Turian as well. Why do you want to bring him down?"

"I couldn't find the proof I needed in my investigation, but I knew what was really going on. Saren is traitor to the Council and a disgrace to my people!"

Shepard studied the young Turian for a moment. Sure, he was a little too hot-headed for her liking, but the human soldier could see that he had potential in him. All he needed was a little level-headed guidance from her.

Her decision made, Shepard stuck out her hand. "Welcome aboard, Garrus."

The Turian took her hand and shook it before falling into step behind Shepard as the foursome headed towards Chora's Den.

"Fist is going to be waiting for us," the Turian advised his commanding officer. "When we hit him, we better hit him hard!"

"That won't be a problem."

**Fin.**


End file.
